Haunting Ground Revelations: Alea Iacta Est
by ChaosSentinel
Summary: Part I in an HG sequel trilogy. A search for one girl's identity brings her to a mansion on the edge of civilization, and the dark secrets she uncovers there will change her life forever...
1. Author's note and Prologue

**Author's Note and Prologue**

Haunting Ground- Revelations: Alea Iacta Est (The die has been cast/ Part I) 2006 by CoyoteLongshot

Full credit to HazardousRaptor and CrimsonPromise for inspiring me to write this... you girls rock :)

This is part I of my version of a sequel to the PS2 game Haunting Ground. This story, instead of following Fiona (although she _is _in it), focuses mainly on the character of Daniella, who she was, who the original Aureolus Belli was, and what happens to the Belli family. The fanfic will be written based on Ending A, "Fortes Fortuna Juvat", from Haunting Ground, and the first chapter takes place the day after Fiona's escape. **Note that this fanfic gets somewhat dark later on, and will contain some strong language and adult situations. **Nothing too graphic or explicit, but it will feature themes of masturbation, incest, and rape in parts of the series, and also some pretty disturbing imagery. It's also fairly long, but I've tried to make it as interesting as possible. That said, hope you all enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

* * *

_"The most valuable thing in this world is the Great Truth. It is the ultimate secret of human life, the epitome of everything we do. There is no avoiding it, no ignoring it. It must be found. I, Aureolus Belli, will be the one to discover it, to harness its power, to show the rest of the world the pinnacle of the human experience. Only then will humankind truly be the supreme beings in this world. Only then will we be complete."_

_-Aureolus Belli, 1508-1583_

"So that's it, then? They're all gone? And the last remaining Belli has escaped..."

The young man in the chair was having difficulty grasping this concept. They had been waiting for hundreds of years, it had been carefully planned... it may have been their only chance of discovering the Truth. And now it was all ruined. Why... _How_ could this have happened?

"That's what I found, sir. I found the homunculus Riccardo dead... and Lorenzo was nowhere to be found, nor was Fiona. It was obvious that something had gone wrong."

The deep voice came from a large man in the corner of the small stone room. It was lit with a single oil lamp on a table in the center at which the young man was seated, yet he could see the man in the corner perfectly. He glowed with his own light, a faint iridescent blue that gave him the impression he was talking to a ghost. He ran his hands through his red hair, cursing. He should have seen this coming. Lorenzo had called him late a few nights ago. He'd told him that Fiona had been brought to the castle prematurely, that it was Riccardo's doing, no doubt. He'd always said Riccardo was the troublemaker... But _why?_ What reason would Riccardo have for sneaking her into the castle? What had he wanted?

Well, that bastard got his. That was really the only consolation about this whole incident. And no doubt the whole thing would get blown wide open. By tomorrow it should be in all the newspapers, all over the television... There was just one shot left. It was a long shot, but still a shot. He had considered just going out and finding Fiona himself, bringing her here, to the mansion... But he knew that this was not a wise idea. The police would be watching her closely, they would find this place and it would all be over. If this final act of desparation didn't work, the once-great Belli family would die off, disappear into obscurity, never to be heard from again. They had been bound for greatness...

He suddenly lashed out, yelling in frustration and knocking the lamp over onto the floor. Immediately, the light died, shrouding the room in darkness. There was no reason things should have happened this way. It was all just pure, simple incompetence. He kept his fists clenched, allowed himself to calm down, and took a deep breath. He looked back in the direction of the man to whom he had been talking, the only light in the room now radiating from his body. Yes, one more chance. He had to pull it off right, and losing his temper wasn't going to help make that happen.

"What of Leana? Did you see to it that she would awaken?"

"I did as you instructed, master... but it appears that they had been using her body for something else they weren't telling us about... Either way, it should be any time now. I also found many homunculi roaming freely about the mansion outside the castle. It would appear that they were all tainted in some way and had been forgotten."

Now... what was this about? Had Lorenzo been running more operations without telling him? Just what _had_ been going on at Belli Castle? He sighed, rubbing his eyes. It would be useless to wonder about it now. He was obviously never going to get an answer. He stood up, making his way past the small pedestal with the white statue, the room's only distinguishing feature, and toward the arched doorway where a small amount of light was streaming from down the hall. As he reached it, he stopped and turned once more to the man in the corner.

"I'm going to prepare to meet her. She will come here, there is no doubt of that. Just be ready for her when she does."

"And what makes you so sure?" The other man's voice reverberated off the walls.

"Because... she will have nowhere else to go."

She could be the missing link, the one that could finally answer the ultimate riddle. Her Azoth was pure and untainted. Dear, dear Leana...

He could hardly stand to wait to see her again.


	2. Hellspawn

**Hellspawn**

It was a bright, sunny day for the small town of Silverpool, England. It was quite warm out, too, for the time of year that it was. It was on September 8th that the Silverpool Police department got the call, from one Fiona Belli. In a remote area miles outside of town, Old Castle Belli was... haunted, for lack of a better word. She told them stories of clones and monsters and alchemy, how all of the residents were now dead, and how her parents had crashed while on their way there. This was the most exciting call they'd gotten in a long time, as far-fetched as her claim was. None of the officers actually believed it, of course, but it certainly gave them something to talk about on an otherwise slow day at the office.

The officer who'd taken the call, James Marshall, was sitting at his desk, telling the others about how television and today's culture were warping the minds of the youth.

"It was probably some girl whose friends dared her to go check out the castle, and she heard a noise or saw someone. She probably just made up everything else. Or maybe it's just some punk playin' a trick on us."

"I've seen one of the guys who live there," piped in another officer, Officer Daniels, from the other side of the room. "Name's... uh... Riccardo or somethin'. He comes around every once in a while to get supplies and things. Didn't seem like a bad chap to me. Just... never talked to him... and I never saw his face."

"Well... we've still gotta inform the sheriff and send someone to check it out," said Marshall, leaning back in his chair. "Standard procedure. Listen... is Agent Weston in today? He makes for a good errand boy."

"Yeah, I saw him earlier," said Daniels, "He should be at his desk. He didn't look too busy."

Marshall got up and walked out toward Weston's office, thinking _"Wonder what he's gonna think?"_

* * *

She opened her eyes. Green, all around her. Some sort of liquid... which meant she was drowning. But she was breathing. She could feel the liquid entering her lungs, and leaving, just like air. She couldn't move. Her limbs weren't responding. She looked around in a disoriented malaise at her strange surroundings. A green light, a brighter green than everything around her, shone straight above her. Now that she'd had time to calm down, she had started feeling things touching her back. She was finally able to move her fingers a little... she felt them brush against glass. Was this some sort of holding tank? With some difficulty, she managed to raise her hand and put it flat on the glass. When she looked hard, she could tell that there was some sort of room out there. But still, she couldn't move her body. She slowly moved her hand around to her back... but quickly jerked it back when she felt it.

There was a tube sticking into her back! She touched it again. There was more than one, she realized as her hand brushed against a second, then a third. She started to panic. What the hell was going on? She didn't know where she was, or even _who_ she was. Now that her feeling was coming back, she felt one more growing sensation: pain. Dull at first, but growing worse. Every part of her body ached, and a stabbing pain gradually increased where the tubes were entering her flesh. She had to get out. _Now._

She raised her hand, made a fist, and, enduring the growing pain in her arm, attempted to hit the glass. The liquid, whatever it was, had a thicker consistency than water, and her fist ineffectively bounced off the glass and made a dull thump. She couldn't escape. She was trapped in this thing. She frantically tried to kick and punch at the glass, but to no avail. She took a deep breath of the sickening liquid, then reached behind her and yanked one of the tubes out of her body.

She screamed. Pain exploded in her brain. Black mist clouded her vision, threatening to steal her consciousness. But she fought it, and slowly the pain receded. She felt around to the hole in her back. The tubes were inserted pretty deep. But... What did they do? Behind her, a deep red clouded the liquid, her own blood. Whatever she was in, it was stinging the now open wound immensely. Suddenly, she saw the green light turn bright red. After a few seconds, the liquid began to drain out of the tank through a hole that slid open at the bottom.

It went down slowly at first, and then started to disappear faster. Slowly, it sank down to her head, then past her face. She tried to take another breath... but she couldn't. She couldn't breathe the air anymore. It was like she was drowning... but without water. Quickly, she plunged her face into the fast-draining liquid and inhaled deeply, then exhaled. She came back up, and watched in horror as the last of the liquid trickled into the hole.

The glass suddenly slid away, and fresh air rushed into the chamber. She felt movement under her skin, and the other two tubes ripped themselves out of her back, causing her pain the likes of which she had never felt. She tried to walk outside, but tripped and fell as she desperately tried to breathe. She clutched at her throat, realizing with horror that she would die soon without oxygen. She tried one more time to gasp for air, and then she choked. She coughed, and liquid flew out of her mouth. She couldn't stop, and kept coughing up that nasty green substance as she lay on the floor in pain. Finally, she took a deep, ragged breath of air and laid there on the stone floor, soaking wet and sobbing, helpless and stranded in a place she'd never been before.


	3. No Accident

**No Accident**

Special Agent Jack Weston was headed for Belli Castle, driving a Silverpool police car. He probably didn't need to, but he preferred it to the piece of junk he drove anyway. The road that led there was an old, lonely stretch that wandered through the countryside, which turned quickly into dense forest, for about thirty miles before arriving at the front of the old castle. There was really nothing for miles beyond the castle, so the road was virtually unused, save the occasional farmer or lost tourist. He had been driving for nearly twenty minutes, and hadn't seen one car. He wasn't planning on this trip today, and it was probably going to make him late getting home. Anne didn't like it when he was late, because she would have to reheat his dinner, but he didn't either. Thinking about his family seemed to make the trip go by quicker. His son, Ron, was only a year old, and there was another baby on the way already. It seemed like just yesterday he was getting married...

Letting his mind wander, and not expecting to see anything, he almost passed by another car stopped by the roadside. He slowed down to look, but then stopped the car. He noticed that this car was totalled. It seemed to have hit a large stack of logs that was off to the side of the road. Quickly he got out to see if there was anybody inside. He gasped as he saw two people in the front of the car, both obviously dead.

He got closer and looked inside. There was a woman on the passenger side, slumped over the dashboard with a head wound, and a man in the driver's seat. But as he looked at the man, he realized this must have been no accident. There was a wound in his body that was undoubtedly made by some sort of knife. It seemed to have gone all the way through and through the seat behind him as well. He recalled Officer Marshall telling him that the girl claimed to have been in a car accident in which her parents died... but she never said anything about being attacked. At first he didn't believe any of it, but now he had to concede that at least some of her ridiculous testimony was truthful. He went back to the car, glad he'd brought the police car now, and turned on the radio.

"Hello, control? This is Special Agent Jack Weston. I need to report what appears to be a double homicide."

A female voice came back to him. "What is your location, Agent Weston?"

"I'm about 15 miles down the road that goes by Belli Castle. I don't think it has a name..."

"All right. Please remain on the scene, I'm sending other officers to assist you. They will be there as soon as possible."

"Thank you."

He got back out to investigate further. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he had a feeling that there was more to this that he didn't know about...

* * *

She limped, naked, through the stone halls of the building she was in. It was huge, it had to be a mansion or something. Through a window she saw what appeared to be a castle, a huge structure of stone that extended high toward the clouds. She had not found anything to cover herself with yet, so she was forced to walk the halls naked. She was in an extreme amount of pain and could barely walk, and the wounds on her back were still open and bleeding. She was disoriented and confused, just hoping to find a way out. She had walked up stairs inside of what looked like a giant well, and passed through a room with a large, expensive-looking statue. She was now on a catwalk that was above what appeared to be a library. A clock, ticking loudly, was the only noise in the large, empty room.

She limped slowly through another door, and found more stairs leading upwards. She had no idea where she was going, and was pretty sure up wasn't the best way to go at the moment, but had no other choice. She ascended the stairs, hoping to at least find a window from which she could see the exit. She looked into the room and clasped her hand to her mouth, grabbing the railing with the other to stop herself from falling down the stairs.

In the large observatory at the top there was glass scattered everywhere, and in the middle was the corpse of a woman who had seemingly been impaled by one of the shards of glass. She was leaning back, and the huge glass shard was going straight through her, the end stuck in the floor. She leaned over, thinking she might puke. She stumbled back down the stairs. What happened here? What _is_ this place? And how did she fit into it? She had no memories of anything, didn't know where she came from or who she was. She just knew this place wasn't safe, and she had to escape. She walked as fast as her aching legs would take her, not going in any particular direction, just hoping to find a way out.


	4. Escape

**Escape**

It had been hours since she had started looking for an exit. She had apparently made it out of the mansion she was in, and was now wandering the castle. She would not be able to walk much longer, and was nearly crawling as it was. She had found a curtain that she had draped around herself. She entered a large, open room that looked quite a bit like an entrance hall. This gave her some hope, and she moved as fast as she could down the stairs toward a set of doors on the other side, but stopped about halfway down.

There was a man standing between she and the door. A huge man. And unlike the last person she had encountered, this man was very much alive. He had seen her, and was staring at her. When she looked at his face, chills ran down her spine. He looked almost... deformed. He slowly started toward her. She took a deep breath, and tried to speak to him.

"Thank god you're here... I need to get out. Please help me."

He said nothing, just kept coming toward her. He was making strange grunting noises and reached out his arms, as if he wanted to touch her. She stood still, knowing she could not run in her state. He reached out and felt her arms as she stared at the monstrous man in bewilderment.

"Who are you? Please... I need help! I need to find the exit! Please help me..."

He stopped, looking at her desperate, tear-streaked face, and seemed to be thinking about something. Finally, he lowered his head and his arms dropped to his sides. He shuffled to the side and pointed toward the large doors in the front. She hesitated for a moment. This man looked so lonely... Was he the only one here? She felt a pang of guilt, but it was swiftly forgotten when she remembered her need to escape.

She murmured a thank you and limped toward the entrance. The huge man turned and watched her go with sad eyes. Finally, she made it to the doors and, with some difficulty, opened them. There was a bridge leading to two huge wooden doors, undoubtedly the castle's front gate. She made her way across the bridge, her remaining stamina quickly fading, and, finding the gate unlocked, pushed on it with all her might.

The big door slowly swung open, and she stumbled out and fell on the grass. She could see a road from here, and a dark forest around the castle, but everything beyond that was just barren-looking countryside. She was wounded and exhausted to the point where she could no longer move. She took one last look at her surroundings and blacked out.

* * *

Weston drove toward the castle, this time accompanied by three more officers from the Silverpool Police Department, Officers Gado, Meier, and Rivers. When his backup reached the scene of the accident and had investigated it, they decided it might be dangerous and so they decided to come with him to the castle. They had managed to identify the victims as Ugo and Ayla Belli. They hadn't lived at the castle themselves, but they were apparently close relatives. There was definitely something going on here. Soon, Belli Castle came into view, looming over the surrounding countryside. It stood, looking the same as always, tall and imposing. They reached it, and got out of their cars. As soon as Weston got out, he knew something was wrong.

A girl, bloody and unconscious, lay on the front lawn. She was wrapped in what looked like a curtain, and lay unmoving not ten feet from him. Quickly he ran over to her.

"We have a person down here!"

There was a silence as the other officers hurried to his side and Weston checked her for a pulse. Finally, he lifted his hand.

"She's alive. We need to get an ambulance here, fast."

Officer Rivers started back toward his car. "I'll call one in. Get ready to move to the castle."

Weston stood up and unholstered his gun. Whoever did this to her couldn't be far. Officer Gado was checking the girl's body. She was quite beautiful, but... her hair... she had no hair, and she was covered in some sort of liquid. She had three gaping holes in her back, and her feet were bleeding.

Gado stood up. "These aren't gunshot wounds, Jack. These patterns... looks like something was surgically inserted."

"Well, be alert. It's more than likely that whoever did this is still at the castle," replied Weston. "We'll have to take extreme caution. Somebody will have to stay here with her and wait for the ambulance."

"I'll do it," said Meier. "Call me right away if you see anything in there. I'll join you as soon as possible."

After Rivers returned, he, Weston, and Gado, prepared for the worst, moved through the gates and into the castle.


	5. Forbidden Science

**Forbidden Science**

Who were these men? The castle had been very quiet until they got here. The masters had left him all alone. That woman never gave him food anymore, and he had to eat fruit off the trees outside, which was hard to find. Not even Master Rickado came to see him anymore, or to give him jobs to do. He had thought about leaving the castle several times, but he looked out into the lands outside and couldn't do it. He didn't know where to go. This all started when the dolly got away from him. The dolly did this to him. She hurt him badly, and he was still injured from the big light. He'd tried to be nice to her so she wouldn't hurt him again, but now everybody was gone. But that woman came back. He saw her in the hall. She looked a little different, but he knew it was her. But she didn't give him any food this time. She wanted to leave. She was abandoning him, just like Rickado and everybody else.

He was hidden in the shadows as the men ran by, speaking to each other and searching the castle. He knew that if they found him, they would make things even worse for him, just like the dolly did. He stayed away from the evil men, clutching his doll for comfort. This dolly wasn't as good as the one that got away. But this one always stayed with him, it didn't run away or call a mean doggie or drop a light on him. And he stayed there, out of sight. Unnoticed. Just like it had always been.

* * *

It had been at least a few hours since they had started looking around. They had since left the castle, and were now in the mansion behind it. They had witnessed some strange things since they'd come, but no indication of any imminent danger, or where that girl could have come from. Weston was getting tired, and he'd spent far more time here than he had planned. He began to think that maybe all these things, the call they'd gotten, the car accident, and the girl... maybe it had all been one big coincidence. Maybe there was nothing here. Suddenly, a voice called him.

"Jack... Jack!" came Gado's voice, from a room down the hall. "I think you'd better come see this!"

He hurried down the hall, and into the room. What he saw next was beyond his comprehension.

Inside the room were four large, red holding tanks. Two of them had apparently been smashed and were both empty, but there were two more, filled with some sort of fluid. Inside them were what appeared to be... people. They looked strangely deformed, extremely small and wrinkled with huge heads, but there was no mistaking that there were human beings inside these tanks. Each of them had strange tubes sticking out of their bodies, and... they were alive. Weston could see them breathing. They looked more or less the same.

And he realized that, although the girl he found on the front lawn had different features, although she'd looked like a normal human being, she had been in the same state that these... things were in. Although she didn't look anything like these horrendous creations, she was bald, she was covered in some substance... and... those holes in her back. She must have had tubes inside of her as well. What could this possibly mean?

"My god..." said Meier, who had come in with Weston. "She was telling the truth. They're clones!"

"Clones? What?" Weston spoke incredulously. That wasn't possible. "Come on... there's gotta be a reasonable explanation."

"That girl... that Fiona," said Meier, sweat froming on his brow. "She said they were growing humans here. She said... they were creating clones. That's what this is... who would commit such an unholy act..."

"Just fuckin' stop it, all right?" Weston had to yell. They couldn't panic at a time like this. "Listen, calm down. If... if they really are clones, we have to report this immediately. We have to tell HQ..."

"We have to kill them," said Rivers, his dispassionate voice putting Weston slightly on edge.

"Well, let's not jump to conclusions, here..."

"Come on, Jack," replied Rivers. "We both know that there are people who won't want something like this getting out to the public. Powerful people. You can call it in, but they'll just tell you the same thing. These abominations have to be destroyed."

"We're still not sure what they are yet, so just wait, okay?" Weston was beginning to lose his patience. "I'm going to go back and call control, tell them about what we've found. You should all just stay here and investigate further... but _don't_ do anything to them until I get back. Am I clear?"

Each of the others nodded solemnly. They had encountered something that before they never thought was possible. Maybe this was all just a nightmare. Weston just wanted to go home and forget about all of this. But he knew that what he had seen was something he would never forget...


	6. The Missing Piece

**The Missing Piece**

Agent Weston was on his way back to the room where they had found the holding tanks. He had called control from his car, knowing they must not believe him. But... they seemed strangely agreeable. Was it his imagination? The conversation was still fresh in his mind...

"Control? This is Special Agent Jack Weston, at Belli Castle."

"What do you have to report, Agent Weston?"

"We've found something... Something I don't know what to do about."

"What have you found?"

"... Well, I'm not quite sure how to tell you this. You see... I know it sounds crazy, but... do you recall how that girl who first called to report to us... she said there were experiments going on here? Involving... cloning?"

There was a long silence. "Yes."

"Well... she was telling the truth. We've found what appear to be... human clones. Many of them. They're apparently being grown here or something. I need to know what to do. I've never dealt with something like this before."

Another long silence. He was expecting some doubting comment, or for the lady to tell him that such a thing was not possible.

"... I see. Let me talk with the sheriff about this."

She was gone for a minute or two, then her voice came on again.

"Agent Weston, orders from the sheriff are to kill these things you have found. Make sure none escape. If this gets out... it could explode. We're not prepared to deal with that kind of collateral damage. We would like you to bring back one of the bodies for examination."

She had told him this as if she believed him without a doubt. He could hardly believe it himself. Did they know something? … It didn't matter, he decided. Now was not the time to be considering such things.

There was something else he had to tell her. On his way to the car, he'd noticed the open tank. He passed by it once, not really paying attention to it. But now that he had passed it again, he knew... this is where that girl had come from. The tank was completely separate from all the others, in its own room, and it was larger than the other tanks as well. The glass, which on the other tanks sealed them shut, had slid open, the liquid drained. A red light shone above the tank, and three black tubes hung limply inside. And by now she was probably at the hospital. He told control about this.

Once more, a silence. Then, she spoke again. "Agent Weston... it is crucial that you find her. Find out where she was sent, and eliminate her. There is no choice. If she says anything- if anybody ever finds out about this, we could all be in danger. Is that clear?"

"What? How would I do that? Even if I did find her... I can't just walk into a hospital and kill one of the patients!"

"Don't worry about that. When you find her, call us. We'll arrange something."

Weston wasn't quite sure what she had meant by that, but it wasn't his place to question. When he was finished, he left the car, headed back to that ghastly room, passing by all the other "clones", strange mumbling people, completely white. How did he get mixed up in something like this? What did it all mean? And... could he really kill all of those people? Even if they were loathsome creations, were they human beings? Did they deserve to die? And that girl... she'd looked so helpless. Why was there nobody here? Nobody to help explain why or how they were performing such experiments... Were they all dead, like that girl on the phone had claimed? He could have sworn he'd heard somebody else in the halls earlier. But then again, maybe it was just his imagination playing tricks on him. It tended to do that in a place like this one.


	7. Awakening

**Awakening**

There was something soft underneath her... she was no longer on the ground. Her eyelids fluttered open. It was a small, white room. She was lying on a bed... and she didn't ache anymore. Her whole body seemed numb. There was something different... different than last time. She lifted her hand, and reached around to her back. There were large bandages where those tubes used to be... but something else. She felt hair. She was pretty sure she didn't have any before, but now she had hair down to the middle of her neck. What was going on now? Had she really been out _that _long? She managed to sit up, and didn't feel anything... no pain, but nothing else, either. They must have given her something.

So, then... this was a hospital. She needed to get up, to leave, to find out who she was. She sat on the edge of the bed, then tried to stand. Her legs shook violently, but she stood. She tried to take a step forward... and collapsed onto the floor. She noticed her feet were bandaged, too. She couldn't leave in the state she was in. She crawled back up to her bed, and laid there a moment, trying to decide what to do. She finally decided there was nothing she _could _do, and just stared at the ceiling for a while.

But, after some time, she noticed a newspaper on the stand beside her bed. She picked it up, and read a few of the headlines.

**"ELECTION NEWS: MALKINS PROMISES TAX CUTS"**

**"TWO BOYS RESCUED FROM DANGEROUS RIVER CURRENT"**

**"JAMES ANDERS TO DONATE $3,000,000 TO LOCAL CHARITY"**

She was scanning the paper, hoping to see something she recognized... a name, a place, anything. And that's when she saw it:

**"BELLI CASTLE: HAUNTED?"**

She decided to take a closer look. This could have been the one she was at...

"On Saturday Silverpool police responded to a strange call from an anonymous person telling them that she had been stuck in the local castle. This person told them that the castle's inhabitants were performing illegal experiments involving cloning, and even that one of the men living there was a great alchemist who had lived for hundreds of years. She claimed to have barely escaped with her life, and told them that they needed to investigate immediately, as the castle's owners had died while she had been there.

"Well, there appeared to have been some freak accident here, and yes, everyone who lived here is now deceased," stated Officer Andrew Gado, who was one of the men who had investigated the claim. "But, I assure you, there was none of this cloning or alchemy rubbish going on. It must have just been that girl's wild imagination."

When asked what would be done with the castle now that it was abandoned, Gado told reporters that it was still considered a potential crime scene and until the police were finished investigating there, they would not worry about it. Still, though... one must wonder what they did find there, and what kind of "accident" occured. Chances are, though, that this will become a Halloween legend in the coming years.

The road near Belli Castle will be closed until further notice.

Cloning? Alchemy? Was that where she was? And if so... what did it mean to her? She still didn't know anything. Suddenly, she remembered where she had been: in a holding tank, with all sorts of tubes and liquid... but... could she have been one of their creations?

No, that wasn't possible. She was a living, breathing human being. She needed to find out who the girl was that had called the police. And, as if in answer to her prayer, she noticed a blank envelope under where the newspaper had been. She picked it up and opened it. There was just one handwritten message on a sheet of paper:

_Her name is Fiona Belli. She is the heir to the castle. She can help you. Find her at 631 Stanton Drive in London. Go quickly, there are people looking for you._

She knew this was for her. Whoever wrote this letter knew who she was. They were trying to help her. Hoping her legs would hold her up, she prepared to leave.


	8. The Reluctant Hunter

**The Reluctant Hunter**

"I'm looking for any females who came into the emergency room on the eighth. She wouldn't have had a name."

Weston waited as the secretary searched through the records. He was at the Barrington Hospital, because Silverpool was a relatively small town and didn't have one. This was the closest one, and he was pretty sure that she would have been taken here. He knew what he had to do... he would take her out of the hospital and bring her to the station. He was not to kill her personally, as had been planned originally. They needed a new body for research... they wanted to know how it was done. How to clone people. Weston didn't think that things like alchemy were safe to mess around with, but those were his orders. He wondered what would happen if this power fell into the wrong hands... If it _was _in wrong hands at the castle... He had seen things there that he was sure would give him nightmares for the rest of his life.

They had been ordered to kill all the clones at the castle two days ago. He knew they were beings that were not meant to exist, that were created by sick and twisted minds... Yet he still had a hard time doing it. Even though his job was often dangerous, he had never been forced to kill someone before. And now he had the uncomfortable knowledge that he was involved in a government cover-up, as well. They already had one of those bodies. But this girl was different. She was separate. She was _special_. How, he did not know. But he knew she had some importance over the others. And now they would kill her, even though she had become more than an experiment in a test tube. She had been walking, breathing. As much as he didn't like to admit it, she was a human being.

"There was one that came in that afternoon as a Jane Doe," stated the secretary, bringing him away from his thoughts. "She had numerous physical injuries on her back and her feet."

"That's the one I'm looking for. Which room is she in?"

"Room 380, officer. I will inform the nurse you're going to see that patient."

"Thank you," said Weston as he walked toward the elevator. He got in and pressed the button for the third floor.

When the elevator reached the third floor, he got off and headed straight for number 380. If he was lucky, she hadn't woken up yet. That would make things a lot easier. He found the door open, and walked inside. The nurse was standing in the room, staring at an open window. Weston looked from the empty bed to the open window and swore. He should've expected this.

"She was in here just a few hours ago!" The nurse was saying. "I don't know where she could have gone!"

Weston walked over to the bed, and noticed the newspaper on the nightstand, with the headline about Belli Castle standing out. He picked it up and scanned the article.

"I think I do," Weston said, putting the paper down. She must have gone looking for their "anonymous person". And, with any luck, she would find her.

* * *

The girl had no idea where she was, or where London was in relation. She knew London. She'd been there. So far she'd been denying her fears about being involved in this cloning thing because she had memories. She knew about the world, she knew things a clone couldn't. Yet... she had no personal memories. She only knew that she had not been in that tube all her life. And someone out there knew who she was. Whoever wrote that note... She had to find that person.

The bandages on her feet were beginning to deteriorate, and her feet had started bleeding again. She was having extreme difficulty walking. Thankfully, she had located a bus stop on the road going by the hospital. Judging by the number of people gathered there, it would arrive very soon. She had been forced to re-enter the hospital and steal enough money for the bus from a donation jar in the lobby when nobody was looking. She felt horrible about it, but it was the only way she would be able to leave. She glanced back up into the window of her former room. What looked like a police officer stood there, a man dressed in black, looking at the open window she'd used to escape.

_Go quickly, there are people looking for you._

She was reminded of the note. Why? Why couldn't she be left in peace? Was she a criminal? What was going on?

Rain started sprinkling from the sky as the comforting roar of the bus's engine approaching reached her ears. Quickly, without looking back, she walked to the bus doors as it stopped and got on, and finding London was on the route, she paid the driver and sunk down in a seat in the back, not wanting to be seen. She couldn't trust anybody. Not until she had things figured out. As for now, she was still in the dark.


	9. The Survivor

**The Survivor**

"Hewie! Come here, boy! Time for your dinner!"

Hearing this, the large American White Shepherd came bounding out of the living room. He ran to the bowl his master had laid out and devoured the food hungrily. Fiona watched him with tired eyes. It had been only three days since the incident, and many legal issues still needed sorting. This was just her temporary home, located on the outskirts of London, set up for her by the government until she could get back on her feet and back to college. She would not be staying here much longer. All that had happened, her parents' death, murder plots by her own family, the revealing of all of the dark secrets of her past... it had scarred her, both mentally and physically. All that remained of that fateful night now was her dog, Hewie.

And now, with the police reports falsifying her claims... she just didn't understand it. Thy _had_ to have found something... had they been lying? She would not rest until this was exposed. It had ruined her life, and she wanted to make sure the horrible things in that castle never reached the light of day. If they did... how many more lives could be ruined? She leaned back, putting her hand on her forehead. She had been having splitting headaches and horrifying nightmares ever since it happened. She was afraid to sleep at night, afraid to talk to anybody, afraid to even walk outside the house... She knew she could never be the same. Not after that... what she'd seen...

Hewie, finished eating and seeming to understand that Fiona was feeling bad, nuzzled her palm with his wet nose, whimpering. She softly stroked his head, whispering that she was fine. He was all she had now, the only one left to care about her. She knew she should be getting prepared for school, getting her life in order. She slowly got up, walked over near the phone, and opened the phonebook on the counter. She still had to call the apartment complex near the school and get a living arrangement set up. She flipped to the right page and started dialing the number, but about halfway through, there was a knock at the door.

She looked over, setting the phone back down. Her heart started beating faster. Were they here to kick her out _already?_ Surely there was no other reason for someone to be here... but she couldn't leave yet, she wasn't ready. Again, knocking, this time more rapid and frantic. She strode toward the door, Hewie getting up to join her. She finally reached the door and, taking a deep breath, pulled it open.

She hadn't realized how hard it had been raining outside. It had turned into a downpour, and the person standing at her door had no umbrella, not even a jacket... but as soon as she looked at the person's face, her heart skipped a beat. The girl standing there had dark eyes, violet hair... this wasn't possible. Hewie began to bark loudly. Fiona stumbled backward and fell as she attempted to close the door, but Daniella stopped it with her hand. Fiona crawled backwards, away from her. Hewie stood protectively in front of her.

"This isn't happening... You're dead!" Fiona shouted in disbelief, staring at the woman. It was like the nightmare was happening all over again. But Daniella made no move to come at her. She just looked into Fiona's eyes, dripping wet. There was sorrow and pain in her eyes, there was _emotion_. Fiona knew then that it was not Daniella standing there. Daniella was an empty shell, a woman devoid of all feeling. But the girl who stood before her now was shivering and desperate, and she wore a mask of despair. There was no bloodlust there. And... she was a _girl,_ now that Fiona looked at her, younger than the other Daniella, about her own age.

A growl rumbled deep in Hewie's throat. The girl looked down at him, then back to Fiona.

"Please... I need help. I don't know who you think I am, but I don't mean you any harm. All I want is some answers... Please believe me."

Her voice was higher than Daniella's, full of life... not devoid of it. Fiona stood slowly, petting Hewie to calm him.

"It's okay, boy... It's all right..."

She had no idea who this person was, or why she had come. All she knew was that something had happened.

"Come inside," she said to the girl. Something told her they needed to have a long talk.


	10. Mysterious Workings

**Mysterious Workings**

"So... that was you. You were the girl in the tank."

The girl nodded. After telling Fiona all that had happened to her, Fiona sat for a long time, thinking. She had brought her some clothes so she didn't have to wear the soaking hospital garments. Hewie had finally settled down, lying beside Fiona's chair, but keeping a watchful eye on the girl. After a long time, Fiona sighed, and looked back at her.

"... I think you're a clone. The police are chasing you because they don't want what happened at the castle to be known about by the public."

The girl looked down. She didn't want to believe it.

"Who did you think I was? Why did you say I was dead?"

Fiona paused, then spoke softly.

"There was this woman... she lived at the castle, and she hated me. She looked just like you. I think you were both clones of the same person. But... I think you have something she didn't..."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a long story... anyway, she died. I didn't-"

The girl cut her off.

"How? How did she die?"

She remembered the gory scene in the observatory. Was that the person she was talking about?

"I'd... rather not talk about that..."

"Please tell me!" the girl begged. "I need to know!"

Fiona looked at her, puzzled. She said nothing for a few moments.

"... She was killed by a large shard of glass. It pierced through her body."

Tears came to the girl's eyes. It was her. She was nothing more than a clone, a creature not fit for this Earth. Slowly, she lifted her head.

"Tell me... what was her name?"

Fiona heard the hopelessness and pain in her voice.

"Her name was... Daniella."

The girl nodded slowly, and stood up. She had a name.

"Daniella... I'll get used to it. Listen... thank you for what you've told me..."

They faintly heard a noise outside, a car coming to a stop. Fiona got up and ran to the window, peering out the curtain. She gasped, and closed the curtain quickly. She ran to Daniella.

"There's a police car in the driveway. They're coming for you."

She hesitated. Daniella knew what she was contemplating. Fiona didn't want her here, either. She likely saw her as a threat to society, and a reminder of the nightmare she had been through, but she couldn't be blamed. Finally, she put her hand on Daniella's shoulder.

"Listen. My car's out in the driveway. Go into the bathroom and get out the window, then when he's inside, come around and drive away. I'll stall him. Here's my keys."

Fiona put the keys in her hand. Daniella looked up at her in bewilderment.

"I can't just take your car... Why are you doing this?"

"Because... I know what it's like to be running for your life. I'll be fine. Just go. Now!"

Fiona pushed her into the hallway as the sound of someone knocking filled the room once more.


	11. The Dark Stranger

**The Dark Stranger**

Daniella dropped down into the mud. After a few seconds she was soaking again. She slowly walked around the house, staying near the wall. She peeked through a window on her way, and saw Fiona valiantly attempting to stall the officer. But this was no normal police officer. He was dressed in black, and his outfit looked nothing like a standard officer's uniform. She recognized him as the one she'd seen in the hospital window.

_So they're sending the Special Forces after me, huh? Just my luck... _she thought as she started away from the window toward the driveway. She reached the edge of the house, took a deep breath, then broke into a run through the driveway. That's when she saw him. A man was standing in the middle of the driveway, a dark silhouette out in the pouring rain. She was finished. She hadn't thought there would be two of them. But she wouldn't let them take her without a fight. She tried to avoid him, but the man grabbed her arm.

She tried to swing at him with her other arm, but he caught it, too, and drew her close to him. She felt him pressing a piece of paper into her palm.

"I want to help you. Go to my mansion. It will be safe for you there... and I can tell you who you really are."

The man's voice was calm and soothing. He let go of her, and began walking down the driveway. She looked at the note in her hand.

_63 Snake Drive_

_Dark Bay_

She noticed it right away- the handwriting was the same as the other note she'd received. She looked up... but he was gone. She wanted to know who he was, why he hadn't taken her with him... but there was no time. She ran to Fiona's car as fast as possible and fumbled with the keys trying to unlock it. She dropped the note in the muddy driveway as she concentrated on the lock. Her hands were shaking too badly, and it was almost too dark to see out here. Finally, she got the door unlocked and got in, grateful at least to be out of the rain. She closed the door and put the keys in the ignition. When she was ready, she turned the keys and put it in drive, then pulled a sharp U-turn as fast as she could.

She sped away from the house. As she was leaving the driveway, in her rearview mirror, she saw the agent looking out the window. He'd no doubt heard the engine. She hadn't turned her headlights on yet, so she hoped he couldn't see the car. She turned onto the road and sped away from the house, hoping he wouldn't chase her. She got lost as fast as she could, taking as many turns as possible and keeping her speed up. Her first priority was to lose him.

After about ten minutes, and hearing no sirens or seeing signs of police, she pulled into a restaurant parking lot and realized she had dropped the note. But she remembered the address clearly. She knew where Dark Bay was. How she knew was a mystery to her... but she knew. Whether she liked it or not, she had to go there. There was nowhere else for her to go.

* * *

"What was that?" Weston walked toward the curtain.

"Sounded like a car out on the road, sir," Fiona said, obviously annoyed with him walking around her house.

He opened the curtain and looked outside. Nothing. With this driving rain, this late, he could hardly see five feet.

He sighed, walking back toward her. It sounded close... but there was nothing he could do about it anyway. He had searched the whole house, and hadn't found anything, save an open window in the bathroom. Fiona insisted that she had left it open earlier that day to air the room out, but he was still very suspicious. He remembered the last open window he'd found...

"Nobody came here at all? You didn't get a call, nothing?"

"No. I told you," she said. "Hey... are you here because of what happened at Belli Castle? Were you there?"

He saw no harm in replying. "Yes, I was."

"Then why did you lie? You said there was nothing there. You lied to everyone! Do you know what I went through?"

Now he saw the harm in it, and really wished he wouldn't have answered. The truth was, he found himself asking that same question.

"I don't know what you're talking about, ma'am..."

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!" Her voice raised to a shout, startling Hewie. "You found them, didn't you? You're trying to keep it a secret! You scum! How much are they paying you, huh? ANSWER ME!"

Weston was silent for a moment. "We found nothing there. Now, if you really haven't seen anything, my business here is done. Good night, ma'am."

He walked toward the door. Fiona said nothing, but he could feel her eyes on him the whole way out. He wanted to tell the truth... but it was his job to lie. He reached the door, opened it, and walked outside. He ran toward his car, trying not to get drenched, but he stopped dead halfway there.

Fiona's car was no longer in the driveway.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath.


	12. The Gates of Hell

**The Gates of Hell**

It had taken Daniella the better part of three hours to reach the small, decrepit town of Dark Bay. It was on the Eastern coast of England, but nobody came to a place like this to enjoy the ocean. It was a port town with a notorious reputation. She had driven through the town as quickly as possible, feeling a bit unsafe just being there. The rain had dwindled away during her long trip, but that did nothing to improve the gloom of this place. She kept an eye out for Snake Drive, but could not seem to find one anywhere in the city. This man claimed to have a mansion... but she could not picture a mansion in an area such as this. Something just didn't fit.

She began to drive away from the town, wondering if this was a mistake, when she finally found it. Snake Drive was a lone road outside of town that seemed to travel along the rocky coastline. She turned onto it, a small flame of hope being her only reason not to flee this place like her instincts were telling her. She traveled down the road for a few miles, following the coast, unsure exactly what she was looking for. She suspected it was about midnight, and she could hardly see a thing beyond the range of the headlights. All that was visible was the ghostly reflection of the moon far out into the water. _Suppose they don't call it Dark Bay for nothing_, she thought idly.

She drove over a hill, and suddenly, a dark shadow loomed in front of the car. It only took one look to realize this was the place she was looking for. It was a huge house, out in the middle of nowhere. Daniella was reminded of the castle she was at. As she got closer, she could see it more clearly, and noticed that most of the lights were turned on inside the house. It was right on the bay, and she could even make out docks behind the house. The boats moored there reflected moonlight off their metal exteriors. Red flashing lights indicated that there was also some kind of radio tower behind the house, far out into the bay, its purpose a mystery to her. The closer she got to the house, the bigger it seemed. _This guy must be loaded to be able to afford living here, _she thought.

Daniella pulled up to the gate in front of the driveway, the number 63 painted large at the top. It was a huge iron-barred gate, taller than three of her... but oddly it stood wide open, permitting her entry. She slowly turned in to the long brick driveway that led up to a semicircle in front of the mansion. She saw two other cars parked up there. As she approached them, she realized they were very old-fashioned; they looked like cars you'd see in the 1930s or something. Did he collect these...? She pulled to a stop behind one of them and opened the door. As she got out, she noticed the stunning architecture in the entryways. It was very beautiful, all wood-carved. There were designs of vines and wind, of water and fire. She marveled at this as she approached the gigantic oak double doors in the center, the entrance doors.

She walked up to the doors and, hands trembling, knocked loudly three times. She could hear the sound echoing around her, then silence. She listened for anything inside the house, the only background noise being the subtle hum of far-off crickets. She waited for nearly a minute, but still no sign of a reply. She decided to knock again, harder this time. Again, total silence. She got the feeling nobody was going to come to the door. The small flame of hope quickly dwindled. She should have listened to her instincts... this _had _been a mistake. But... where would she go now? She slowly turned around, despair washing over her like a current, when a crack of light appeared on the front steps. It widened and bathed the porch in light. Daniella turned around.

A tall man stood in the doorway. He had pushed the left door wide open and was staring at her. Or at least... that's what she _assumed._ This guy would give anybody the creeps. She could tell immediately from his exposed arms and neck that he was black... but couldn't tell much beyond that. The man wore a mask, so she could not see his face. The ghostly white mask was slightly reminiscent of a jester's, there were two holes for the eyes, slanted downward, and the mouth hole was a wide grin, giving the whole thing a very strange, almost sinister look. It cast a shadow over the face underneath, and she could not see his eyes or mouth, just dark holes.

He wore a blue tunic and long black pants, and his hair behind the mask was long, black, and braided in strands. And the man wore the strangest earrings she had ever seen: two red glass spheres hanging from each ear. They almost looked feminine in a way, but no girl in her right mind would wear those. Hanging at his belt was what looked to be an old Italian rapier, a long, thin sword used for stabbing. In all, he almost looked like somebody ready for a Halloween party... but still, his presence was very imposing.

Daniella unconsciously stepped back upon seeing him. She got herself together and cleared her throat.

"Um... Excuse me. Somebody wanted me to come here... were you the one who gave me that note?"

The man remained standing there, his unnerving mask turned in her direction. He said nothing for a moment.

"No."

Daniella was taken aback, not only by his blunt remark, but by his voice. It was very deep, and she would not have imagined such a voice from a man as thin as he was... but he went on.

"But yes, I know who you are. The master has been expecting you. Please, follow me."

She followed him inside. The door boomed shut behind them. The man motioned to the gigantic foyer with his gloved hand. Now that she actually looked around, she noticed the interior was gorgeous. Lining the room was more masterful woodwork, and the ceiling was painted with Renaissance-style art, reminding her vaguely of the Sistine Chapel. Directly overhead was a large dome of glass to let in light during the daytime. Stairways gracefully spiraled up to the second-floor balcony, and all of the decorations and artifacts around the room looked very old and valuable. Suddenly, she heard the noise of an animal growling from the other side of the room.

A fairly large black-and-white dog was walking toward her with a threatening look on its face. It looked a little bit like the dogs they used in Alaska, the markings looking a lot the same... but she knew it was different. She stumbled backwards, trying to calm it down.

"It's all right, Poppy. She's with me."

The dog looked at the man, then back at her, and stopped growling, seeming to understand. Slowly, it approached her. She was still afraid it might do something to her, but it just sniffed her hand, and even gave it a little lick. She gave the dog an uneasy pat on the head, and backed up another step.

"I must apologize... we found this dog in the wild, and took him in about a month ago. He makes an excellent bodyguard. But... Allow me to introduce myself. I am the servant to the master of this household. You may call me Fendari."

"Fendari." Daniella repeated the name uneasily, eyes still on the muscular dog. "That's an unusual name."

"It is Nigerian," he replied impassively. "Is there anything else I can do for you, miss?"

His deep voice had an edge to it she wasn't quite sure about. There was certainly something bothering him.

"Well..." replied Daniella, her gaze resting on the man's feet, "Could you tell me where exactly the master is right now?"

He was silent again, the mask hiding any emotion on his face. Finally he spoke.

"I'm afraid he is out right now. You'll have to wait for him to return. Feel free to roam the mansion if you wish. If you are tired, the bedrooms are on the second floor. I will inform the master of your arrival upon his return. Will there be anything else?"

Daniella felt uncomfortable in the company of this man. She wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"Um... No, I guess not. Thank you."

He kept his mask turned in her direction for a moment longer, then turned around and headed for one of the spiral staircases that led up to the second floor. Daniella, left alone in the huge foyer save the canine, who was now sitting in front of her and staring at her, continued standing there, not quite sure what to do next.


	13. The Nightmare Begins

**The Nightmare Begins**

There was rain falling on his face. Slowly, his eyes opened. His eyelids were almost stuck together with some substance. He rubbed at them with aching hands. The sky above him was dark and cloudy. He slowly began to get up, his back killing him. Looking around, He noticed he was on the viaduct between the water tower and Lorenzo's house. What happened? Why was he here?

Then it all came back to him in a rush of memories. He had brought Fiona to the water tower... Yet somehow she'd escaped. He had come after her, but even after giving her that drug, she still made it to the top and raised the viaduct... and then... He remembered chasing her around up on the top, he almost had her... But then something struck him square in the chest and he stumbled backwards, and the next thing he knew, he was falling, screaming, knowing it would all end...

Yet here he was, Aureolus Riccardo Belli, alive and more or less well. There was no way he could have survived a fall like that. _How am I still alive? _He wondered in disbelief. Fiona was more than likely long gone by now. Either Lorenzo finally took her or she had escaped. He hoped that would be the case. There were certain people who were counting on her capture. He had at first planned to kill them both, to kill Lorenzo and Leonardo if he had to... he was going to keep Fiona for himself, use her to recreate him, to give him a son, a son that had what he himself could never hope to attain, to continue the Belli lineage... But that's not what the old man had wanted.

Lorenzo wanted to take her and steal her Azoth to try and discover his "Great Truth"... He wanted to live forever. Not just through his clones, the greedy old bastard wanted to know how to keep _himself_ alive forever. And, of course, he had no intentions of sharing any of this with Leo... by now, he realized, the whole family had fallen apart. Just a bunch of imitations of the same person, fighting each other for their own personal desires. It was all madness.

He realized he'd been letting his mind wander, and knew what he had to do. Now that he was alive, no matter what, he had to get Fiona back. He had to find her, wherever she was. He should have had her... His plan could still work. It _would_ still work. It was all that kept him going.

* * *

There it was. Parked right behind one of the old cars- it was Fiona's car. He had gone back in to question Fiona some more, but she claimed her car had never been there in the first place, that it was being repaired. He couldn't prove anything, so he left, getting extremely frustrated. On his way back out to his car, a miracle. Weston had found the soaking piece of paper in the driveway next to his car. If he wouldn't have been staring straight at it, he'd never have noticed it. And it had led him here... to a huge, creepy-looking mansion outside the range of civilization. And he had no doubt that this is where he'd find the girl. He just wanted to get this all over with and return to his family.

He approached the large, adorned oak doors that made the front entrance of the huge house. Seeing no doorbell, he knocked hard on the door. There was no answer. After some time, he put his hand on the big brass handle and pulled on one of the doors. To his surprise, it was unlocked, and swung open quite easily for its massive size. He stuck his head in and looked around. Inside it was completely silent, no sign of movement or noise at all. The room was gigantic, befitting a mansion of this size. Slowly, he stepped through the doorway and walked inside.

The sound of his footsteps echoed as he walked around the impressive foyer. A quick inspection showed that nobody was here. He walked into the center of the room, taking everything in. All the lights were on. She was here... somewhere. Suddenly, he heard a noise to his right, a deep grumbing noise. He looked over to see a large dog, its teeth bared, walking slowly toward him. His wife Anne was a veterinarian, and by now he knew most dog breeds by sight. It was a Japanese breed, that he could tell immediately... an Ainu from the looks of it, a dog seldom seen outside of Japan and similar to the Akita or the Kai, judging by the structure, color, and the curved tail, and it didn't seem too happy with him entering the house. He stopped, seeing movement across the room. There she was. Standing in a doorway on the bottom level was his target. She had started to enter the room, but stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him.

She took one look at the growling dog, then back to him, fear entering her eyes. Quickly, she spun around, going back the way she'd come and slamming the door behind her. He ran toward the doorway, but the dog jumped in front of him, barking loudly and showing even more sharp teeth. He couldn't allow a stupid dog to get in the way of his mission... but how to get past it? He couldn't shoot it, he'd never forgive himself, not to mention the laws he'd be breaking. He sighed, walking slowly toward the dog.

He had stopped at a service station on the way here, and that's what saved him. If there was one thing he knew about dogs, it was that unless they were extremely well-trained, they couldn't resist something that smelled good. Luckily, he still had a half-eaten candy bar that he had stuffed in his pocket, which he started to take out. He remembered something about how chocolate was bad for dogs... but this was his only option. He took it out and showed it to the dog. Slowly, the growling faded away, and the dog sniffed the air, coming toward him. Bingo.

He threw the candy bar, wrapper and all, as hard as he could across the room. The dog raced after it as if it were playing catch. As soon as the dog was far enough away, Weston made a break for the door. He reached the handle and ripped open the door, running into the next room. It was apparently a storage room, as it was lined with shelves filled with different supplies. He noticed a ladder leading up to a wire mesh balcony above him. And there she was, huddled at the end of the balcony. She'd already cornered herself.

And although he hated what he was doing, chasing a poor, terrified girl around... he had to admit, this little game of cat and mouse was more action than he'd had in a long time. He started toward the ladder.


	14. Companion

**Companion**

Riccardo had seen what had been done. He saw Daniella, killed in the observatory. He saw all the broken vases, he saw all the damage that had been caused. He saw the nutrient tank, no longer occupied. Maybe she had finally escaped. Not that he cared at all. And, as he walked out onto the castle's front lawn, he saw his last creation, dying. Debilitas lay on the grass in the front, breathing heavily, malnourished and near death. Still conscious, he turned his large, sad eyes on his master and let out a low wail. Riccardo sighed. Slowly, he took out his pistol and carefully loaded it, pouring in the gunpowder he carried with him and packing it down with the rod, then placing a single iron ball in the barrel. He aimed at the man's head. Debilitas just continued to look at him, pain and misunderstanding in his eyes. _I owe him at least this much, _Riccardo thought as he squeezed the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot echoed through the forest around him. Debilitas' head dropped to the ground, and he lay still. Slowly, Riccardo put the gun away. He didn't know where to start looking, or who to ask. But he knew he had to find her. He had to _have_ her. And he had to punish her for what she had done to him. He started toward his car, noticing the yellow police tape around the whole castle. Yet... there were no police to be found.

* * *

"I don't want to hurt you, miss. Just come with me and everything will be fine. I don't want to hurt you."

That man was coming up the ladder. Daniella eyed the door she came in. Why did she have to come here in the first place? She had been walking around the house, just looking at the different rooms and seeing if she could find anyone else, when she had come upon this storage room. Famished, she had decided to come in here hoping to find something that was readily edible. Now she would pay for her decision. She looked over the edge. It was pretty high up, and if she jumped down to the concrete below, she risked breaking a bone. It was probably better than being taken, but what if he got her anyway... He wanted to hurt her, she didn't care what he said. If he got her, it would all be over.

He had made it up to the balcony, and was slowly walking toward her, extending an arm to her. Suddenly, she made her decision. She stood up quickly and vaulted herself over the railing. The man yelled something, but she didn't hear him as she came down hard against the cement. She hit it feet-first, heard something snap in a rush of pain, and fell face down on the cold stone. Something had happened to her left foot, and she could not get up. She lifted her head to see the policeman, and saw him hurrying back toward the ladder. She tried desperately to get up, but it was like the fall had knocked all the strength out of her.

He made it to the bottom of the ladder, and Daniella felt hot tears rolling down her face. He had her. It was all over. Suddenly, she saw a shadow pass over her, and all then the other man was on the ground as well. She looked up and saw that dog from earlier on top of him, snapping at him. The man screamed once, then kicked the dog off him and stepped backward, holding his wrist. The dog circled, then came at him again. The man stepped backwards and ran out the entrance, yelling curses. The dog stood at the entrance for a moment, still growling. Slowly, his growling died away and he turned back to Daniella.

Still terrified and confused at the moment, all she could do was lie there and stare at the animal. It came up to her and licked her face, then sat down in front of her. She saw that its tongue was a strange blue-black color, and... some of the teeth in the dog's open mouth were stained red. She reached out to touch the dog's fur, and stroked its face gently. She was surprised to find that she was crying even harder now than she had been. Suddenly, she grabbed the dog's fur tightly, much to its discomfort, and buried her face in its flank, sobbing. This whole thing... her whole life was just one big nightmare. But at least she had someone... _something_ that was on her side.

The dog appeared to find this whole situation uncomfortable, and tried to pull away from her grip. She let go finally, allowing herself a shaky chuckle as she tried to regain some of her composure.

"Sorry. I've been having a bad day... So... your name's Poppy, is it? That's what that creepy mask guy called you, wasn't it?"

The dog, hearing its name, perked its ears up, but remained sitting at a safe distance. He obviously didn't want to be grabbed again.

"That's kind of a strange name for a dog, isn't it? Well... I've never heard it before."

Something occured to her, and she got up on her knees and crawled over to the dog, then got down and examined its underside.

"Especially strange for a _male_ dog... But... you saved my life. Thank you... My name is Daniella." She pointed to herself and repeated, "Daniella."

He barked, seeming to make his own introduction. Normally, she would feel kind of stupid talking to a dog, but for some reason it was different with this one. She saw intelligence shine in the depths of his dark brown eyes, and she got the inexplicable feeling he could almost understand her. But as she was pondering this, a more urgent thought slipped back into her mind... Was he still out there? Was that police agent waiting for her outside of the door? She shuddered as she wondered what she was going to do next. She decided first on just concentrating on getting up. She rose slowly, her left foot throbbing with pain. She balanced herself on her other foot instead, wondering if this was a wound that would heal soon. She hoped it wasn't too serious.

Daniella looked down at the dog, wondering if it was going to stay with her. She hoped to god it did, because she needed a companion, somebody to help her, to protect her. She knew she couldn't make it on her own. She walked toward the door, but the dog did not follow her. It remained seated in the same place, its brown eyes following her. When she got near the doorway, she turned around and extended her hand.

"Poppy, come!" She said, worried that it wouldn't work, and she'd be stuck all by herself again.

But the dog immediately got up and came to her, walking over with a wide grin on its face, brushing up against her leg.

"Good boy," said Daniella, wiping her eyes, relief flooding through her. "Good boy."


	15. Tortured Soul

**Tortured Soul**

"Has she arrived yet?"

"Yes, sir." Fendari spoke to the master over the old-fashioned phone. He turned his face in the direction of the doorway. He thought he heard a sound...

"Good. I will be coming back as soon as my business here is finished. How did she look?"

"Well, as frightened as one could expect, sir. But she appears fine physically. It seems," he said, turning the mask now in the direction of the foyer, "She's taken a liking to Poppy." The door was closed, and the foyer would not have been visible to any normal eye... but he could see her there.

"Poppy? What are you talking about?"

"The dog we picked up, sir."

"Oh, right... Well, that is of no concern... So everything's going according to plan, then?"

"Yes."

He wasn't mentioning there was a man after her, inside the house at this very moment. He had his reasons for not doing so...

"All right. Make sure she stays there."

A click, and his voice was gone. Fendari slowly put the receiver back on its stand, his head still turned in the direction of the girl. He could almost smell her from here. It had hit him even harder than he'd expected. He felt such strong emotions...

Leonardo did not deserve her. Fendari had been waiting for her to come back for far longer than he had. And suddenly, Leonardo gets this plan and decides to bring her here because they botched the operation at the castle. He didn't care about her, he didn't know what it was like... all he wanted was more Azoth. Fendari lifted his hand, saw it faintly glowing through the white glove he wore with pale blue light. He had wanted such things, once... and now it was a curse, something that caused him incomparable pain and suffering each day. But Leana... she could help him. She could make his life complete again. He remembered what it had been like, so long ago. He remembered the smooth feel of her skin, her soft voice moaning in pleasure... He wanted her so badly...

He brought his hands up to his mask and felt his face through the mouth hole. Why... Why couldn't it all end? Why did he have to live while everyone around him died? He _would_ have her. His hands started shaking uncontrollably. He would kill Leonardo, or that man chasing her, or anybody else that got in his way. His hand went down to the hilt of his rapier, closing tightly around it. He felt such hatred... not only for the ones who did this to him, but for everyone... Red lines crossed his vision, he felt as if the air he was breathing was fire instead... Such hatred...

The man raised his head and began to scream.

* * *

Weston stood in the shadows in a corner of the foyer, behind a large statue of some old man, nursing his bleeding wrist. The bite marks dug deep into his flesh, still bleeding. Just when he thought he could get the job done quick, that damn dog had to come in and ruin it. Looking back, he wondered why he hadn't closed the door. Well, there was no point in thinking about what he could have done. Next time he encountered her... he'd just have to shoot the fucking animal. There was no more time for playing games. He just wanted to get out of this place and back to his life.

Suddenly, a ghastly sound reached his ears. It was a scream, a man's scream, a scream of pain and suffering. It sounded far away, but it was very loud, and Weston had no problem hearing it. What kind of place was this mansion, anyway? He looked around the room, but there was no sign of where the noise was coming from. It was horrible to listen to, and sent chills up his spine. He didn't want to spend any more time here.

After a few moments, the screams died off, leaving the entire room in dead silence. He saw movement in the storage room doorway. There she was, coming out, accompanied by the dog. She looked around fearfully, but could not see him in the dark shadow cast by the statue. He watched as she moved away from the doorway, the Ainu trailing at her heels. She appeared to be limping pretty badly, most likely a result of that fall she'd taken. She stared at the main entrance for a moment, probably wondering if she should get out of this place. But, after a while, she hung her head, and turned around.

Weston saw her head for one of the stairways leading up to the second floor balcony. He made no move to come out, but made sure to look carefully at where she went. The girl slowly ascended the stairway and made it up to the balcony, then looked around, trying to decide where to go. Finally, she picked a door on the left side of the balcony, suddenly looking very tired and weary. The dog, with a look of genuine concern on its face, looked up at her as it trotted by her side. She opened the door and entered, closing it behind her.

He stepped out of his hiding spot, drawing the Colt .45 from the holster at his belt. He walked toward the same stairway, in no hurry to come after her. He knew he would catch up... and next time, he wouldn't let her get away.


	16. Guardian

**Guardian**

Poppy looked up at the lady, "Daniella", as he trotted along beside her. She was a very nice lady, and he liked being around her. She didn't ignore him like the others. Still, he found it hard to trust her completely, but that would be true with any human. He had not had a good past. He had been near death when that man found him out in the grass. He hadn't had anything to eat for days, and was badly malnourished. He had been brought up with people who didn't pay any attention to him, people who didn't need him, didn't want him, people who hurt him...

One day, they pushed him over the edge. That boy kicked him because he took a chicken bone out of the garbage. They hadn't fed him that day, and he was starving. He was never a violent dog, but he had been turned into one by these people. He attacked the boy, ripping a chunk of skin off his arm. The boy screamed, and that man came in, saw what had been done, and grabbed a knife from the holder, yelling something. Poppy wasn't stupid, he knew what would happen. He ran, ran until he was outside, and kept running, far far away.

And he thought it was over until the man with the red hair had taken him in. He never paid the dog any attention, but at least here he was fed and taken care of. His whole life, he had just wanted somebody who loved him, who would play with him, and this girl seemed to like him very much. He had decided to stay with her, at least for the time being, because she made him feel not only wanted, but _needed. _There was a man coming after her, trying to hurt her, and he knew what that was like. He wanted her to feel like he could protect her so she would stay with him.

She stopped at a wooden door and looked down at him, apparently unsure of whether she wanted to enter. Poppy just looked up at her face, his mouth hanging open. After a moment, she smiled, patted him on the head, and opened the door, looking back once and walking into the room. He looked around outside one more time before following her. He heard the man with the white face. He knew it was his voice, and it sounded like he was in pain. Seeing nobody, the dog followed her in. His stomach was starting to feel a little upset... Must have been something he ate.

* * *

The scream had upset Daniella. It was one of the most horrifying noises she had ever heard. She just wanted to meet this "master" and get the hell out of this place. Never mind she had no idea where she would go, where she could run. As far as she knew, she was a wanted criminal. The police were obviously after her, but she had no idea what she did, who she was... and that's why she was still here. She needed to know. She remembered Fiona's words clearly:

_"... I think you're a clone. The police are chasing you because they don't want what happened at the castle to be known about by the public."_

...She was still in denial. Not about being a clone, she had come to believe that, and was trying to come to terms with that fact as best she could. It was the thought the police wanted to secretly kill her off. She didn't want to believe the world was that corrupt. Her dark thoughts took her all the way up to the second floor balcony. She looked around when she reached the top, wondering where the bedrooms were, realizing for the first time that she was extremely tired. There were a few doors up here, and she just decided to try the one on the far left. She approached it, her hand on the door handle, but didn't turn it. She didn't want any more surprises today.

Daniella looked down at Poppy, standing by her side, his dark eyes staring up at her, with this stupid grin on his face. She couldn't help but smile, reaching down and patting his head. She felt a lot more comfortable with him now. She wondered if he would stay with her while she slept. Taking one look around the foyer, she opened the door. She suspected that agent was still here, somewhere, but he was gone, at least for now, and she needed sleep. Entering the doorway, she found herself in a long stone hallway, with wooden doors lining the sides and a dark stairway heading downwards about halfway through, and a long window that ran along the top of the passage, lighting the hall with the ethereal glow of the full moon shining brightly overhead.

Daniella looked backwards, noticing that Poppy had not come to join her. The dog came in after a few seconds, looking around the hall. She closed the door behind her and, calling him, headed for the door closest to her, on the right side of the passage. As she opened the door, Daniella sighed with relief. The room had a single bed with red covers, white pillows, and a beautiful white nightgown already laid out for her. There was also another door, presumably a bathroom. It was a small bedroom, but it was more than good enough for her. She entered the room, Poppy following by her side.

She closed the door behind her, hoping to god there was a lock on it... but no such luck. Just the brass handle. She groaned, sitting down on the soft bed. What if as soon as she went to sleep, that man came in and trapped her? She crossed her arms, shivering. That didn't matter right now. She decided she needed sleep more than anything, being up almost a whole twenty-four hours, so she took the nightgown into the bathroom and changed into it, then came back out and sat back down on the bed beside the dog. She leaned forward and stroked Poppy's fur. The dog brushed its head against her hand, yawning. He really liked her. He was her only friend in this place. She was reminded of Fiona and her dog Hewie. They had been through a lot, there was no doubt of that.

Poppy laid down, putting his head on his paws, and Daniella laid back in the bed, drawing the sheets over her and switching off the lamp on the nightstand. She heard the dog sigh... _My dog, _she thought as she smiled and got settled in. She wasn't afraid of anything as long as Poppy was here with her. He would protect her...


	17. The Alchemist

**The Alchemist**

"What are you doing?"

She came down the stairs, spotting the man in the same place he was spending too much time these days... down in his alchemic laboratory. To her, it was all a bunch of rubbish, and would never amount to anything, but not to him. He took it as seriously as his own life. He was starting to look sickly from spending so much time down here, his skin paler, eyes larger... While the rest of the world went out to do things, have fun, and have a life, he stayed here. She wondered where the man she knew had gone. He hadn't always been like this...

"Please, don't bother me, Leana. Can't you see I'm working?"

"But you're always working these days... please, come up for a while. Talk to me."

The middle-aged, balding man stared at her, a look of annoyance in his eyes. But after a moment, it faded, and a smile crossed his face.

"... All right."

He strode over to her, putting his arm around her. Together, they walked up the stairs, talking to each other. As few and far between as these moments were, Leana truly enjoyed them. She caught a glimpse of the man she married, the one she used to know, but only briefly. Most of the time he was prattling on about this Azoth he was so obsessed with and how he would be famous, an icon of history. He never explained in detail what exactly he did down there, despite numerous attempts by her to get him to do so, but she knew it was dangerous. He would leave at night for hours at a time, taking just his bow and his knife with him, and he would always arrive home with some animal. Sometimes they were alive, sometimes dead. And he always brought them down to the lab, and after that she never had any idea where they went. But they were never seen again. It scared her.

They walked outside of their house, just a normal-looking cottage in Silverpool. It was a relatively new town, but was already growing fast. It was established in 1536, only ten years ago, and was already a bustling little city. The snow was falling, coating the whole town in a white powder. They walked down the street, Leana laughing for the first time in quite a while. He had approached a young man selling roses, prepared to buy one for her, but then realized he had no money. It reminded her of the old days, when they would sit on the riverbank discussing their plans for when they got married... but it was just that, a reminder. She enjoyed the time while she had it...

Once they returned to the house, he started to get into his usual mood again. He noticed that there was no wood in the fireplace, and started to get angry. Things like this always happened, and it made her so afraid...

"You're home all day, and you can't spare a half hour and get any fucking wood to heat our house? You don't even need to chop down a tree, woman! It's in the shed, but no, you're always too busy talking to your friends or getting drunk, aren't you?"

"Listen, I'll get it, okay? There's no reason for you to yell at me!"

"I just don't understand why you can't be a normal housewife! What is so hard?"

"Well, you're here all day, too! Your "work" is a joke! You'll never get anywhere with any of this! I don't even know-"

"DON'T EVER RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME!"

And then he would get violent. If she was lucky, he would use his belt. But not tonight. She would end up with bruises all over her face, and he would go down into his laboratory and not come out for the rest of the night. It was always the same. She wasn't even sure she loved him anymore. He was no longer the man he used to be. He had gone mad with this alchemy. It had changed him. On this particular night, Leana sat on the couch and cried after he retreated down into his lab. The cut below her eye that had been healing was now open and bleeding again, and she also had a new, swelling bruise on her jaw.

"Milady, are you all right? Was it the master again? Did he lose his temper?"

She looked up into the man's face. He was the servant of the house, a young black man with long hair. She looked up into his eyes and nodded slowly, tears streaming down her face. He sat down next to her and embraced her. She clutched him against her, sobbing. He was always there to make her feel better...

"It's going to be all right, milady... I'll go into town and get you something from the pharmacy... Don't worry, he'll come around..."

"No he won't! He never does! It's always the same! He treats me like dirt! I hope he dies down there!"

"Shhh, shhh... Don't say that, you don't mean that... It'll be okay, miss..."

And it was, more or less... until one night. The night when he brought the _human_ body home, the night when she found out about the new house that was being built...

Suddenly, an image of a field flashed before her, a green field full of hills and trees, and in the center of it all, a solitary well...

And then she was awake. It was the bark from Poppy that woke her, but the shot followed soon after. He was in her room.


	18. Fate's Punishment

**Fate's Punishment**

He was standing in front of the window, so Daniella saw his silhouette as he aimed his gun again. Apparently he'd missed the first time... but she realized it wasn't her he was aiming for.

"Poppy, watch out!" She yelled as the dog leapt at him.

Poppy hit the man just in time to knock his aim off, the bullet hitting the ceiling. Daniella backed unconsciously through the open bathroom doorway, and the agent saw this opportunity. Quickly, he rushed at her, the dog close behind. She gasped, backing into the counter. Her fingers searched it desperately in search of something to hit him with. He made it through the doorway, and quickly slammed the door shut in Poppy's face. She saw him smile... he knew she was trapped.

"There's nowhere to run, girl... Just come with me and I won't hurt you. It's that simple."

She struck out at him with the porcelain toothbrush holder she had grabbed onto, hitting him across the face with it. Catching him by surprise, she shoved him out of the way, ripping open the door and running back into the bedroom. She heard him yell "Bitch!" from the bathroom, but kept running, not looking back. Poppy appeared at her heels, running along with her. Daniella ran out of the bedroom back into the dark hallway, yelling for help. Her voice echoed along the stone walls, but she knew nobody would come. She looked around frantically in the hallway, not knowing where she could hide. In the corner of her eye, she saw the agent appearing out of the doorway, one hand to his face. He looked down the hallway at her, aiming his gun. She had to run... anywhere. Poppy stayed by her, growling loudly. She ran for the stairs in the middle of the hallway, and heard him shoot once more, a sudden, stabbing pain entering her left leg.

* * *

Weston heard the telltale cry of pain and saw her go down on one knee, and knew that he had hit her. He hadn't shot to kill, just to cripple. The Ainu circled him, barking loudly. He aimed again, this time to get rid of the mutt once and for all... The dog, much quicker than he was, circled and jumped on his back, biting at his neck. Weston screamed, dropping the gun and reaching behind him in an attempt to get the infernal creature off of him. He slammed his back against the wall, hearing a yelp, and the dog let go. When he looked up again, the girl was gone. What the...

Damn it. He must not have hit her in the right spot. He was aiming for the back of her knee, which would have brought her down for good. But she was apparently still able to move. He saw a trail of blood shimmering in the moonlight, going down the stairway. It was not a big deal. She would never be able to escape him now. The dog ran down the passage and disappeared down the stairway. Weston, bleeding from the back of his neck, walked after them. This would be it. He would have her cornered.

* * *

Daniella dragged her leg down the dark stone stairway as she looked for somewhere, _anywhere,_ to escape now. She was in a state of almost total panic, not noticing anything around her, just moving as fast as she could. She couldn't think; her whole world had turned grayscale. She was vaguely aware of Poppy running around her, and of the approaching footsteps close behind...

She made it to the bottom of the stairway and shoved open the door. She looked around frantically... what the hell _was_this place? She saw various torture devices, all sorts of spikes and racks, an empty noose hanging from the ceiling... she took all this in in one glance, still moving as fast as she could, crying out with pain. There was a passage at the far end of the room with a door at the end, and she headed desparately for it. She saw Poppy run ahead of her, leading the way, and heard the man's voice somewhere behind her. She made for the passageway, it being her only hope, when something made a loud noise and flew across right in front of her nose, causing her to scream and fall backwards.

Daniella heard metal hit the floor, and saw a group of long, sharp-looking nails hit the ground in front of her. She saw Poppy continue on, oblivious to them, and the brick he was standing on raised slightly after he stepped off it. She forced herself to think... Poppy must have triggered those nails by stepping on that brick, but they didn't hit him because they were too high... She leapt over the "trap brick", landing on her bad leg, and screamed again, falling to the ground. With the last of her flagging strength, in excrutiating pain, she crawled toward the big red door, a gold symbol now clearly visible on it, a cane with snakes wrapped around it. She reached up for the handle... and found it locked. That was it. She could run no more. She turned around to see the agent reaching the bottom of the stairs and entering the room.

* * *

Weston saw her. She was laying in the passageway on the other side of the room, holding her leg and looking at him with pure panic in her eyes, a primal sort of look he'd seen in animals when they knew they were about to die... He noticed he was in some kind of sick torture chamber, filled with all kinds of twisted instruments, but forced his attention toward the girl. He was going to have her now. She had given up. The dog stood by her side, growling and baring its teeth. If it gave him any trouble, he would just shoot it. He walked through the room, actually savoring the moment, half-appalled at himself. And as he saw her lying there in that revealing nightgown, chest heaving, completely and totally vulnerable, he realized she was actually very sexy. He shook his head, trying to keep such thoughts out of it.

He reached the start of the passage, aiming his gun for the final time at the dog, still advancing on the mortified girl.

"I hoped it wouldn't have to end like this-"

A sound off to the side, then all went black.


	19. The Reaper Knocks

**The Reaper Knocks**

Riccardo drove through the streets of the London suburbs, certain now that he would find Fiona. There had been a note in his pocket, telling him where she lived. It was signed by Fendari. He should have known. Only he could work such miracles. Obviously, the man wanted something in return, but he would know where to find Riccardo whenever he wanted to talk. He pulled into the driveway of the small house, smiling to himself. This was all too easy. He parked the car and got out, looking the place up and down, then walked toward the door.

* * *

There was a crash. Fiona awoke with a start, looking around the dark room. She looked around for Hewie, but he was nowhere to be found. She slowly got to her feet, hearing some sounds in the kitchen, where the main entrance opened into. She hoped the noise was just Hewie, accidentaly knocking something over while looking for a midnight snack. But a twisting feeling in her gut told her that was not the case.

"Hewie?" Fiona called from the doorway of her room, waiting to hear the dog bark in response. But a bark never came. Her response came in the form of a sardonic male voice, one she recognized with a surge of terror...

"I have your Hewie. Don't worry... I didn't hurt him. But I might if you try anything, my dear."

Fiona clasped a hand to her mouth. There was no way... this couldn't be happening...

"Please, won't you come out and join me? I'd very much like your company."

She stood, frozen, in the doorway. How was this possible? If that _was_ Riccardo... he was dead! He fell off the water tower, he hit the bridge, she saw it! He had not been breathing... that she was sure of. Still, she could not move. Right when she thought it was all over...

"I'm asking you politely, Fiona. I won't do it again. Come here."

Slowly, more out of fear for Hewie than anything, Fiona started out of her room and down the small hallway. She was shaking badly, her mind boggled with unanswered questions, filled with dark visions of her future. She turned into the dark kitchen... and there he was, Riccardo, just as she remembered him. Cracked face, short hair, hungry eyes... He stared at her, smiling as she entered. He had Hewie beside him, unhurt as he had promised, but muzzled and on a leash. The dog was still growling at him, trying to shake its restraints loose, but to no avail.

"Ah, there you are. I was afraid I'd lost you for a while. I want to see you more closely, my dear. Come to me."

Fiona stood, trembling and shaking her head, a single tear falling down her right cheek. Riccardo simply laughed.

"Come now, Fiona... I'm not _that_ bad, am I? I only have one thing to ask of you! I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to make you unhappy. All I want is _you,_ Fiona."

Fiona opened her eyes, looking at him with a pained expression.

"You don't understand! I don't want to be with you! Please, just leave me alone!"

Riccardo said nothing, just stared into her eyes for a long time, neither of them moving.

"Come to me, Fiona."

Fiona shook her head once more... but despite this, she found herself obeying him. She slowly walked across the kitchen and stood before him, Hewie still growling and occasionally thrashing. She looked at him straight in the eyes, and he looked back, and Fiona knew... he _didn't _want to hurt her. He never had... but he killed her parents, he ruined her life... that didn't make it right... did it?

He smiled at her, putting his hand on the side of her face. Fiona's eyes closed, and she took a deep, shivering breath. She didn't want him to be here... She just didn't want to fight it anymore. He moved his hand down her body, feeling along her breasts and moving down her thighs. A sound came unbidden from the depths of her throat, and she shuddered, feeling a mixture of grief and shame... and...

Riccardo brushed Fiona's hair out of her face, and brought her face close to his. He kissed her passionately, Fiona doing nothing to prevent it. And after a few moments... she started kissing him back. She had no idea what triggered it, deep inside her, but she reached out and touched the leathery skin on his face, her lips responding to his. After a few moments, he broke it off, realizing he had her where he wanted. Hewie had stopped growling, but whimpered in confusion at the awkward situation. Riccardo slid his hand up her blouse, her warm skin drawing back at his touch, carefully removing it as he brought her down to the couch and Fiona gave herself up to him...

"You are mine, Fiona. I own you..."


	20. Moment of Peace

**Moment of Peace**

Daniella lay there a long time, unspeaking, unmoving, staring at the horrifying sight before her. The man had five large nails sticking deep into the side of his head. He was lying face-down, a pool of blood forming around his head. She had no idea if he was still alive or not, but she didn't make any move to help him. If he was still alive, he would probably be dead soon. Poppy whimpered and licked the side of her face, not understanding what was wrong. The man had stopped chasing her... that was what she wanted, right? But she just laid there and stared. She couldn't take her eyes off it.

She had done this. Daniella had done it on purpose, she had murdered this man. He had been after her to take her, to capture her... but she had killed him. She had never killed anybody before, never even dreamt of it. She hated herself, hated the situation she found herself in. Absently, she reached out and pet Poppy, telling him it was all right. But she knew it wasn't. The pain in her leg throbbed, but she had forgotten all about it for some time. Suddenly, Poppy lifted his head, ears pricked up, and looked at the doorway.

That's when she heard them... footsteps. Somebody was coming. Somebody had heard them. She shook her head. What could she possibly tell them? What would it look like to them? She had no idea what was going to happen, but knew it wouldn't be good. A shadow appeared at the bottom of the stairs, and the sound of the footsteps increased. How could she ever explain what she had done... She put her arms around the dog, gripping him for comfort. She felt him rumbling as he growled at the oncoming figure.

He reached the bottom of the stairs, and appeared in the doorway. Daniella could see him clearly now... it was the man with the white mask. Fendari. In the low light down here, he appeared to glow with some inner light, and looked almost like some sort of ghost. He looked in her direction, silent. She took a shivering breath.

"Miss... you're wounded," was all he said.

He approached her with surprising speed, walking normally, but appearing to move very fast. She drew back, still not trusting this man completely. He apparently took no notice of the body lying before her. Recognizing the man, Poppy had calmed down. She had almost forgotten to warn him about the brick, and was about to scream for him to stop, but he just stepped lightly over it before she could say anything. He approached her side, examining the hole the bullet had put in her left leg, and lifted his hand.

"I'm afraid this is going to hurt."

Fendari suddenly stuck his fingers into the wound, causing her excruciating pain. Daniella cried out as his fingers worked the bullet back out. He finally yanked it out in one last stab of pain, and examined the bullet, then proceeded to grab her shoulder. She looked at him, afraid and confused, as he ripped off a strap of her nightgown. He took a long look at her as she frantically attempted to hold the right side of her gown up, which scared her even more. What was he going to do to her? Finally, he turned his emotionless mask back to the wound, and wrapped the cloth strap twice around her leg, tying it.

"The wound is bleeding fresh, keep that on it," he said in that deep voice. "You're lucky. He missed the bone."

She still just stared at him, not responding. None of this made sense. With these words, and another overly long look at her, he got up and began to walk away. What... how could he... she forced herself to call after him.

"Wait! ...Don't you see the person here? He's going to die! He needs help!"

Fendari stopped, then turned around. Who _was_ he? How did he glow like that? Why didn't he care about this?

"I do not see why you should be concerned, miss. He meant you harm, did he not?"

This appalled her. He knew? He saw him coming after her... but...

"Why didn't you help me?" She yelled, fury seeping in to all the fear she was feeling. Poppy flattened his ears against his head, not understanding why such yelling was necessary.

He simply responded, "I just did, milady," and began walking away again, toward the stairs. This left her speechless. He was supposedly a servant... but he didn't care that there was a man's body lying in his own house? He hadn't even bothered to look at him. And had he really known she was being chased around the house? Why was there a torture chamber here in the first place? She was beginning to feel like she didn't really want to meet this master after all. Before he was out of sight, though, he stopped and called back to her.

"You may want to remember... Mercury is a red planet."

Leaving her with this cryptic message, his footsteps died away once more, and slowly, Daniella tried to stand. It was hard and painful, but she managed it putting her weight into the right leg. The wound in her foot from earlier had not yet completely healed, either, so she tried to stay off that leg as much as she could. Poppy, obviously quite distressed, circled around her, whining. She reached down, trying to comfort him, although she was still badly shaken herself. She looked down, the nightgown strap already stained red. She had to hold the right side of the front of her gown up as she started walking or it would expose her.

He'd seemed to be looking at her too intently then. She wondered what he was thinking of, what kind of sick thoughts might have been going through his head. And what had he meant by telling her Mercury was red? What was that supposed to mean to her? She hated this place, hated the people...

Daniella made sure Poppy went ahead first, stepping over the tile and activating the nail trap once more. They clanged harmlessly to the floor beside the ones from the first time. She tried not to look down at the body, tried not to think about it... but no matter how hard she tried, she felt like a terrible person, just leaving him there. But there was nothing she could do... and nowhere she could go.


	21. Hole in the Wall

**Hole in the Wall**

Daniella couldn't go back to sleep. She didn't even bother to try. Not after all she'd been through tonight... Not only would she not be able to, but she was _afraid _to. She was convinced that nobody in this place was safe. She had returned to her room to take off the torn nightgown and put her clothes back on, but she had promptly left after that. She wandered the halls aimlessly, not entering any of the many rooms to her sides. After finding that torture chamber, she didn't want to know what was behind those doors. She found it hard to believe that Fendari and his master were the only people who lived here. This place was huge. There was no way only two people lived here.

Poppy walked alongside her, yawning. The dog had probably been through all these passages a hundred times. Daniella made sure he stayed close to her at all times, afraid that somebody else would come after her. Suddenly, she stopped. In the middle of the hallway, a large, dark circular hole was cut into the wall. Cautiously, she peered into it. There was light on the other side... but she had no idea where it led. She looked down at Poppy, then back toward the hole. She hated to admit it... but she was curious. She wanted to know what kind of a place this mansion was, and whether there was anybody else living here.

_Well... nothing ventured, nothing gained, I suppose, _Daniella thought as she approached the hole. Turning around, she told Poppy to stay, unsure if he knew the command... but the moment she said it, he sat down.

"Good boy," she said, petting him. He appeared exceptionally smart for a dog...

She slowly slid into the hole, bringing her legs in after her, taking care not to scrape the bullet wound against the stone. The tunnel was big enough for her to crawl on her hands and knees, and she made it to the other side fairly quickly. Before coming out, she took a look around the room at the other end. There was nobody in it, and she couldn't decide whether this was a disappointment or a relief. She came out of the hole, swinging her legs around and landing feet-first on the floor.

The room appeared completely secluded, seeing as there was no doorway in it, just the hole she had come in. A shelf, littered with notes and equipment, lay in front of her, and behind that, a big machine of some sort stood against the back wall of the room. She got closer to examine it. There was a small gold tray on the left side, and a compartment to put things in near the middle of the machine. She opened it up, seeing that there was already an object placed inside. It appeared to be a medallion of some sort... but what did it do?

Daniella noticed a lever on the side of the machine, and decided to pull it, just to see what would happen. The compartment holding the medallion snapped shut immediately, causing her to jump back, and a glass compartment above it sprung to life, filled with what looked like marbles spinning in sockets, stopping at random intervals. By now she was thoroughly confused, yet somehow intrigued by this strange contraption. Finally, all the marbles came to rest. Some were white, many were black, there was even a blue and a green one. The machine made a noise, and something to the side caught her eye.

A bag of small green beads fell onto the gold tray. She approached it and picked it up, wondering what it could be. Studying it, she had no idea. They almost looked like peas. She took it with her, looking around the room once more. She heard Poppy whimpering outside the hole, and called to him, saying she was okay. She wanted to look around the room more, but had to get back out to the dog. She walked back toward the hole, pocketing the beads, when she looked down at the shelf with all of the notes strewn about. Something glinting on the top caught her eye... it appeared to be a small gold key. She had no idea where she could use it, but got the feeling it may come in handy... The note under it read _Effects of known alchemic concoctions. _She stared down at it, remembering that strange dream she'd had. Alchemy? Is that what this was? It was a forgotten science, practiced in ancient days. Surely that machine...

She examined it more closely, taking note of the many substances listed. She found one that fit the description of the beads she had obtained, and read it aloud.

"Recreatio... A powerful concoction used to cure fatigue and heal one's stamina..."

Almost forgetting about Poppy, she stared at the list for a few moments longer, then went back toward the hole, taking the key with her as she climbed into it again. Something about this seemed very strange...

* * *

Weston lay on the ground in the torture chamber, unmoving... but conscious. His eyelids jerked open. He felt none of the pain of the nails. In fact, he wasn't even aware of them. He sat up, groaning. He didn't know who he was, or where he was. He eyed the gun on the floor, examining it. A vague, fragmented memory came back to him... He remembered that girl, chasing that girl, wanting to kill that girl... Wherever he was, that girl was here.

He grabbed the gun and held it in front of his face, looking at it as though he had never seen it before. He stood, mouth hanging open, a blank expression on his face. He started forward, only one thing certain to him, one thing that remained in his distorted, warped mind... He needed to kill that girl.


	22. Rendezvous

**Rendezvous**

Riccardo drove back toward Belli Castle. He hated the thought of all the cleaning up he had to do, and now he was short a gardener and a maid, and the old man... but he could go to hell, anyway. He looked into the back seat, Fiona lying down sound asleep, actually looking quite peaceful, just like when he'd first taken her. He had put the mutt in the trunk, knowing that Fiona could never be happy again if she didn't have her dog. Not that he thought she would, anyway... but she would come to like him, in time. He knew it. He saw the castle looming on the horizon and drove faster, eager to get back.

As he got closer, though... he stopped the car. A confused expression crossed his face, then an angry one.

"...Fuck."

He should have seen this coming. Police. He saw red and blue lights flashing... But if they were doing an investigation, why would they have the lights on? Further inspection revealed that it was not a police car, but an ambulance. Then they must have found Debilitas... he had been long dead by now. But there were squad cars there. Even at two in the morning, he could see them, reflecting the ambulance lights. That was when he realized he would never be able to return to Belli Castle.

It hit him hard, and he wondered why he hadn't thought of this before. Of course Fiona spilled her guts as soon as she got out... He'd seen the police tape when he left, but thought nothing of it... now that everybody was dead at the castle, or so they thought, they would probably just sell the place to the highest bidder, or make it a national landmark. Either one gave him nothing. But... where could he go now? If the police caught him with Fiona, it would all be over.

He heard a pathetic bark from the trunk. _That dog had better shut up,_ he thought, _or I might reconsider. _Then the thought came to him... he knew where he could go. Fendari had been the one who had revived him... he could go to the mansion in Dark Bay! It would be perfect, now that he thought about it... they would never find them there, and he and Fiona would be able to stay there quite comfortably the rest of their lives, or at least for the time being... but the plan had one little snag: Leonardo.

Riccardo wasn't worried about Fendari finding out he had Fiona, the man probably couldn't care less. But Leo... he had wanted Fiona. He was most likely furious that they'd lost her... and if he got to her, all of Riccardo's plans were ruined. He was the one running the mansion right now... but the place was huge. Riccardo could easily find a place to hide Fiona until he made sure Leonardo was properly disposed of. He turned around, smiling and taking one last look at the castle, and then left it forever, heading East, Fiona still sleeping quietly in the back seat.

* * *

Poppy thought Daniella seemed to be feeling a little better. She had been scared by whatever happened in that dark dungeon place... but at least the man was not chasing them anymore. They had started wandering the mansion again, and Poppy was getting quite tired. They had been awake for a long time, and it was not usual that he had such little sleep. She reached the large glass doors that led to the big garden-like place. He had never been in there, but had walked by these doors many times. She pressed her face against the glass, looking inside. Slowly, she opened the doors and entered, calling him in behind her.

It was a gigantic room. A massive glass ceiling hung over the circular room, bathing the room in moonlight, which added to the lights that were already on inside the room. A waterfall fell gracefully down from the top of the room into a pool below, coming out of a hole near the top and following a chute that crossed a balcony until it fell into the pool. Three large pillars stood next to the waterfall, all different sizes, each with a man's face carved at the top. The one closest to the cascade was tallest, and they got smaller in succession. There was another pool basin in the room, but it was empty.

Apart from that, the room felt like a natural habitat. Poppy could almost have mistaken it for a real jungle. Stone paths intertwined between lush vegetation, some trees growing nearly to the ceiling fifty feet up. Sprinklers were going off constantly, and mist from all the water settled on his fur, which felt quite good, actually. He noticed Daniella was looking at the balcony up near the ceiling. A single door stood on the balcony... he wondered where it went as he trotted on ahead, enjoying the feeling of the sprinklers as they passed over him.

Daniella, never wanting to be too far behind him, ran to catch up. Poppy spotted another door on the opposite side of the room and walked toward it, turning to look at her. Taking one more look back at the wondrous room, Daniella opened the door and found another dark hallway, with what appeared to be an elevator on one side, a large hole in the wall near the floor on the other, and a rusty blue door at the end. She walked up and examined the elevator, pressing some buttons, but after a few moments she gave up, examining the strange hole for a moment, then moving toward the other door. Poppy had always been fascinated by elevators, the few times he'd had a chance to go in them. One time, you're in one place, and when the doors open, it's completely different.

She came to the end of the passageway and tried to open the door, but the blue-painted door was made of rusty steel, and appeared to be locked. The room didn't smell right to Poppy... it smelled like death. He started growling softly, warning his master. He thought this unconsciously... he was beginning to see her as his master. She looked down at him with worry, then back to the door, and appeared as if she were about to leave, when something occured to her, and she took a small gold object out of her pocket. She pushed it into a small hole in the door beneath the handle, and Poppy heard something click. Poppy started growling louder, that vile scent growing ever stronger. Daniella slowly opened the door... and she gasped as she revealed a room full of human skeletons.


	23. Chamber of Death

**Chamber of Death**

Daniella shrieked and jumped back. There were two torches in the small stone room, burning brightly as if they had just been lit, and she could see them clearly, lined up along the back wall, bones scattered about the floor. She took deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down. Who were these people? Victims of some sort of killing? Was it somebody at the mansion that killed these people? The smell of decay hung strong in the air, bursting out of the room and flooding into the corridor. She tried her best not to look at all of the dead inside. She debated whether or not she wanted to go in, whether there was anything of importance in there. The light revealed some sort of altar in the center of the room, and she wanted to know what it was for.

She told Poppy to "stay" outside the entrance, in case somebody came up on her while she was here. Daniella had the feeling she wasn't supposed to know about this, and didn't want to be discovered. She entered the room again, having to hold her nose to avoid that horrible smell. The rusted metal door squealed, then slammed shut behind her, causing her to jump. She heard Poppy bark once outside. Trying her best not to look around at all of the skeletons, she approached the stone altar. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, obviously having not been touched in a long time. She wiped the dust away, and studied the top of it.

It had some sort of blue diamond-shaped crest set in the middle of it, held in place by two small metal hooks. Daniella ran her hand along it, feeling the cold surface of the metal and the bumps and grooves of the one word cut into it... "SALT". She knew she shouldn't touch it, but it obviously had some importance, and she wanted to know as much about this creepy place as possible. She may be here for a while. Slowly, having to take her hand off her nose, she lifted the silver hooks and carefully lifted it out of the altar. She turned around, not wanting to spend any more time in this place, but then she heard a click coming from the door. She ran to it, fear rising in her chest hoping that wasn't what she thought it was. She tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn't budge. She was trapped in this room. She started banging on the door, calling Poppy, that horrible smell beginning to choke her.

She heard a noise, and turned around and watched as hundreds of snakes entered the room from a horizontal slat at the bottom of the wall.

* * *

Poppy heard his master call for help. She sounded desperate, panicked, like before. Was that man in there with her? He approached the solid door, unsure how he could help her. He walked around worriedly in circles near the door, whimpering. That's when she started to scream. Poppy knew there must be something in there, and barked, completely helpless. She screamed louder, her voice filled with dread and pain. Poppy jumped up and put his two front paws on the door, but he could not open it. Each time she screamed, Poppy felt a rush of pain and sorrow for her. He spotted the hole next to the door. Maybe that led inside the room... maybe he could help her!

Quickly, he ran inside, the small tunnel big enough for him to stand in. The tunnel curved around, heading toward the room. He saw it... he saw her and ran for her... but hit something. A glass panel stood between he and the room. He saw her, crouching up on the altar, trying to fend off hundreds of creatures that had started coming up the altar, up her legs and arms. The room looked like it was alive, the whole thing moving with the vile creatures. She heard him hit the glass and looked down, her eyes pleading, whispering his name. Poppy paced back and forth in the small passage, distressed. He didn't notice it, but he stepped onto the raised red panel on the floor next to him. It sunk into the floor and he heard the clicking noise again.

Apparently, so did Daniella, because she raised her head and jumped off the altar, dashing for the door. He saw her throw it open and fall outside, kicking it shut behind her. He quickly ran back through the tunnel and came out the other end, finding her once again.

* * *

Daniella lay on the floor, the last of the snakes off her, gasping for breath. She saw them slithering away, back toward the atrium. Poppy came running back into the hallway from the small hole near the door, and approached her, licking her legs. He had saved her again... she thought that time she had been dead for sure.

"Good boy, Poppy! Good boy. Thank you."

She looked down at her legs, where he was licking her... and saw the marks. She had been too afraid, too panicked before to even notice, but now she saw that she had been bitten. Multiple times, in fact, all over her legs. Were these snakes venomous? If they were, she didn't have much time left anyway... She dropped the diamond-shaped crest, which she had managed to get out of the room, and hugged Poppy close to her. He was her guardian angel... the ray of light that gave her hope in all of the darkness around her. She knew that she would never leave him.


	24. The Mysterious Garden

**The Mysterious Garden**

Daniella approached the large dais with the altar in the center. This altar was much bigger than the one in the skeleton room, having three different depressions set inside of it. This one was in the huge, circular atrium right outside that hall, and she had seen it as she and Poppy wandered around the room, wondering if the snake bites had been venomous. She noticed the diamond shape immediately... This was where the crest was meant to go. The snakes had been a defense mechanism... but for what? What would happen when she put it here? Whatever it was, it was a secret. She looked down at the other two depressions... to the left was a triangle-shaped depression, to the right, a pentagon. The diamond went right in the middle.

She cautiously lifted the diamond crest and set it in place. She looked around, waiting for something to happen... but nothing did. She looked over at Poppy, walking through the jungle-like vegetation. _He must be pretending he's outside, _she thought with a half-hearted grin. She really did love this room. It was beautiful, temperate, and enormous, and was a much nicer atmosphere than the rest of this place. Its walls were white instead of black, and bright shapes danced across them as the water moved. As she was thinking about this, a deafening noise came to her ears. She put her hands up to cover them, looking around to see what was happening. But she saw it almost right away.

Over near the waterfall on the other side of the room, there were three pillars. The one closest to the waterfall started moving horizontally, positioning itself under the cascade. Poppy started running around in circles, barking madly at it, and Daniella just looked on in awe. That pillar must have been thirty feet tall! She wondered how something so big could move without toppling over. But it did, and she watched as it moved beneath the waterfall, catching the water on top of it. Once it was directly underneath, it stopped. But that wasn't all... at the top of each of these pillars was carved in stone a giant face of an old man, who strangely enough she could swear she recognized. Once the water hit the top of the pillar, the mouth dropped, leaving a hole, and water began pouring out of the mouth and down into the pool again.

She just stood there and stared at it for a while, thinking. So each time she put a new crest into this altar, one of the pillars would move. The one that just moved was the highest, and positioned itself directly beneath the waterfall, the water somehow coming down through a passage in the middle of the pillar and shooting out the mouth of the old man. The next closest pillar was shorter, and she guessed that when it moved, it would move sideways like the first one and catch the water shooting out of its mouth, in turn opening its own mouth and doing the same, and the third one would do the same thing for the second. Right now, that water was just dropping into the pool below. But if she could find all three crests and place them here... she looked at the bottom of the waterfall.

Right now, the water was falling into a large pool at the bottom. But if she could get all three pillars to get into position, she noticed another, smaller basin farther from the waterfall. The water would be falling into that one instead... She had no idea what that would do, but she knew it would do something. Something important, judging from how well this crest was guarded. She looked down once again at the altar. The people, this place... there was some dark secret. A well-protected dark secret. And she wanted to know what it was. Doing this, she thought, may get her closer to the answer. If she was going to be stuck in here, she would at least know the truth.

Poppy had managed to calm down, and was roaming the jungle again, the moving pillar already forgotten about. Daniella wished, at a time like this, she could be that stupidly blissful. She had so many things she was worrying about... she just wanted to forget about them all and find out who she was, where she should go, how she should live. She smelled a strange odor, and found one more thing to be worrying about... hygiene. From putting on these already worn clothes, the dried blood from her wounds, the gunshot and the snake bites, and going into that room, the smell of death had clung to her. She wanted to find some new clothes... but for now all she wanted to do was bathe. As far as she knew, she hadn't had a bath since she came out of that tube, covered in slime. She shuddered at the memory, and shook it off.

She approached the large pond-like pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The water was extremely clear, and she had no problem seeing through it. The great stone pillar was standing right in the middle of it now, actually creating kind of a nice centerpiece. She looked at the track the pillar had used to slide across, and saw two dark lines where its path had been, leading into the pool. Did it use wheels or something? It was unlikely, it would lose its balance... She tried to stop thinking about it, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. The water fell in a prismatic sheet down to the pond below, and the rocks and vegetation around the pool made it feel like she was in some secret spring out in the wilderness. She looked back at Poppy, watching him walk around the trees for a minute, then looked at the doors leading into the room. What if somebody walked in on her...? She hadn't seen a single person here other than Fendari, who would have no reason she knew of to come here... and the agent... but he was...

She shook the dark thoughts out of her head once more. Nobody would come. She would be fine. She took a final glance at the glass doors, then around the room. There was a large mirror on the wall to the side, but no windows except the glass doors. Satisfied, she began removing her clothes. First the skirt, then her blouse. She looked around cautiously, feeling as if she were being watched... but she knew Poppy was the only one that could see her. It always felt that way in this place... dismissing it, she slowly removed her underwear, leaving it all by the side of the pool. She tested the water with her toe, and finding it warm, she stepped into the water. It felt very good, and she tried to forget all her worries as she walked underneath the waterfall, moving her hands up to her hair...


	25. Disturbed Observer

**Disturbed Observer**

Fendari stood behind the two-way mirror in the atrium. He watched Leana there, under the waterfall, using his hand to pleasure himself. He didn't want to be here, jerking off and watching her from afar. He wanted so badly to run to her, to hold her against that stone pillar, to feel himself inside of her once more... but the time was not right. Not yet. But soon, very soon, she would be his.

She looked better than he had ever remembered. When he had known her, she'd been older, less vibrant. But now he was seeing her at her most beautiful... The water came up to her waist... but he could see everything. Her small, perfect breasts shone in the water and light, her white, smooth skin unblemished, untainted, her beautiful violet hair falling down around her face and her long neck as she ran her hands through it. She was taunting him, teasing him... Her body was so warm, so soft, her voice so sweet, so young...

His hand stopped, his business finished. He took deep, shivering breaths and looked down. Even his seed glowed with the Azoth... He wiped his hand off on the wall, nearly crazed with desire. He had been following her ever since she had left the torture chamber, using secret passages and chambers to stay hidden. He knew every inch of the mansion, inside and out. He was afraid he'd have to save her himself from the snake pit... but the dog figured it out. The snakes had been venomous, not extremely deadly, but with her amount of bites, she would die without the proper antidote. And of course he would be there to give it to her...

He kept to his dark thoughts, re-doing his belt and watching her flexible, nude body as she bathed herself. He had been trying to pretend to help, but still wanted her afraid of him. That made the experience that much more exciting, when the moment finally came he wanted her to protest, to scream... He had succeeded. He could smell her fear when he approached, he could taste it, and it aroused him even more. Soon he would have her where he wanted, and she could help him, save him... She was the only one who could save him...

There was a knock at the door. The main doors were near the other side of the mansion... but Fendari could still hear it. This curse... she would save him. He tried to rip his eyes away from her perfect form as he left to answer the door, but found it harder than he'd expected. Finally, he turned his masked face away from her, toward the door. It must be Leonardo returning, he thought. He would make sure that man got what was coming to him soon enough... All in good time.

* * *

Daniella stepped out of the water, feeling refreshed and clean. Poppy came running over to meet her. The dog apparently decided that what she had been doing looked fun, and took a plunge into the pool himself. She smiled as put her clothes back on and watched him paddle along happily, completely soaked and shedding fur into the water. He swam around the pillar once, then jumped back up onto the rocks and shook himself all over Daniella. She shielded herself, giggling for the first time in a while.

"Quit it, you stupid dog! At least my clothes were dry..."

Poppy just looked up at her with that innocent open-mouthed grin on his face. She reached down and pet him on the head, then turned back toward the large glass doors that led back into the dark hallway. She knew she had to leave sometime... and she wanted to look for the other crests. She had no idea where to start looking, but she knew she had to find them. She looked straight overhead to the high glass ceiling, and saw that it was still dark without a hint of sunlight, and the moon was still visible overhead. She had no idea what time it was, but she guessed dawn must be approaching sometime soon.

Daniella called Poppy and together they headed for the doors. She opened them and stuck her head out, making sure nobody was outside, then opened it more and stepped out. Immediately, the atmosphere changed from the bright, colorful atrium back to the dark, poorly lit halls. She sighed and began walking down the hall when Poppy stopped. She looked backwards, calling him, but he didn't come. He had turned around by now, and was growling at something at the other end of the hallway. She walked up to where he was, staring fearfully down the hall.

The shadow of a man stood there, unmoving at first, then making a strange noise and walking forward. Daniella backed up a few steps as Poppy began to growl louder. She could tell it wasn't Fendari... somebody else must be living here! She stopped, watching the man step closer to her and into the light, and her face contorted into an expression of terror.

It was the agent. He was _alive... _He was walking... but she could tell he wasn't the same man as before. The nails were still stuck in his head, and she saw the blank eyes, the slack jaw... The nails must have given him some sort of brain damage... She stumbled backwards, unable to find her footing as she stared at the hideous sight in front of her. She saw the flash of metal in his hand, the gun aimed at her, and she barely had time to scream for Poppy before he shot at her...

The bullet hit the stone wall right next to her head, sending dust and stone fragments flying into her face. She noticed he was no longer aiming for her legs... he was shooting to kill. She ripped her gaze away from him and ran the other way, to the end of the hall and down the curving stone steps, calling her dog again. If he was hurt... she didn't know what she would do... As she ran down the stairs, she noticed her legs starting to feel jelly-like, her stomach beginning to hurt, her vision beginning to blur and distort... What was happening to her? She saw Poppy appear, running at her side, and was once again running for her life.


	26. Enter: Riccardo

**Enter: Riccardo**

Riccardo waited patiently at the door. He'd been here before, and knew how big the house was. He knew his knocking would be heard, though... Sure enough, after about a minute, he heard footfalls inside, then the large, ornate wooden door swung open. Fendari stood before him, looking just as Riccardo remembered him. Tall, dark, and always wearing that mask. Not even Riccardo had ever seen what his face truly looked like... but he had an idea. Fendari stared down at him, and when he spoke, his deep voice sounded almost... disappointed.

"Riccardo."

Riccardo smiled. "What, aren't you happy to see me?"

"On the contrary. I've been expecting you. Where is she?"

"Your powers of deduction are still keen, I see. She's in the car. I've got her dog, too."

The cold, smiling mask stared back at him. "You're going to want to keep her away from the master. If he sees her, you know what will happen."

Riccardo stayed silent for a moment, then asked, "Did you ever find Lorenzo?"

"No. You can be assured, though, that he is no longer a thorn in your side."

Riccardo turned around. "So I'll keep her and the dog in the operating room, shall I? That is, until our friend Leonardo is out of the picture."

"It appears our goals are the same, Riccardo."

Riccardo stopped halfway down the steps. "Are they?"

"I have my own reasons. He shall be returning soon, so you had better get them concealed quickly."

Riccardo walked back out to his car, opening the back door and picking Fiona up. She was still sleeping, and she was actually very light. He would go out to the trunk later to get the dog. As he reached the doorway again, he turned to Fendari.

"...What do you want from me?"

Fendari kept the white mask fixed on him, staring at him, _through _him. Each time that man looked at him, he felt uncomfortable.

"When the time comes, you will know."

* * *

Daniella rounded the corner, taking the first door she saw, and making sure Poppy ran in with her, slammed it shut. He was right on her tail, most likely heard her enter... She looked frantically around the room for anywhere she could possibly hide. It was another bedroom, and there was only one place to go... under the bed. She heard his footsteps approaching. If he knew she was in here, he would certainly find her under there. But she had to do something. She slid underneath the bed, and Poppy stayed out, growling.

She heard the footsteps get closer, then stop. She heard the sound of the doorknob turning... he was coming in. Poppy barked twice, slowly backing up. She saw the agent's black shoes dragging across the floor, looking around. His shoes got closer and closer to the bed, each shuffling step striking more fear into her. She tensed, waiting to see his dead face appear, ready to kick it and try to escape... He stopped right in front of the bed. She felt sweat rolling down her face, her heart racing in her chest. He did not move for a second, then crouched down. He had found her. She waited for him to look underneath... but suddenly, Poppy's feet disappeared from the floor and the man stood up, yelling in anger.

She heard him shoot, and was afraid for a moment that he'd hit Poppy. But the dog landed back on his feet, running circles around the man, barking. The agent yelled something else, then started walking back toward the door. He walked out the entrance, not bothering to close the door back. Poppy continued growling, and Daniella stayed under the bed, thinking he might return. Poppy finally stopped growling and laid down, looking at her under the bed, head cocked. She looked once more nervously at the doorway, all of the shapes fuzzy and dancing in her vision, and then slowly rolled out from underneath, crawling over to Poppy and petting him.

"Good boy. Good... boy."

Poppy could tell she wasn't feeling well, and whimpered, licking her face. Stars exploded in her vision, everything she saw appeared liquid... She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't respond. It was just like before... in that tank...

Suddenly, Daniella remembered. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the green beads. _I hope I know what I'm doing..._ She thought as she put them in her mouth, one by one, and swallowed them. They tasted horrible, starting to dissolve as soon as they touched her tongue. But she took them all, and almost immediately she started feeling better. She stopped sweating so much, her vision slowly returning to normal. She was able to get up slowly, her legs still wobbling. Poppy brushed his head against her, glad to see she was all right. She knew this couldn't last forever... she knew it was the snake venom coursing through her veins, and the effects couldn't be stopped for long...

She reached down and pet her dog again, and then moved toward the door with him.

"Come on, Poppy... I've gotta find an antidote..."


	27. Convergence of Paths

**Convergence of Paths**

Riccardo carefully laid Fiona down on the operating table. He recalled with a smile the last time, almost exactly like this, when he had been checking her ovulation... He watched for a moment as she lay there, breathing softly, her chest rising and falling ever so slightly. She looked so peaceful now... but he knew when she woke up, he'd still see the fear in her eyes. She may never warm up to him completely... They'd had a little more than just a rough start. But she would at least learn to trust him. If nothing else... then for the sake of their child. He needed an heir, he needed to survive.

The thought of leaving nothing behind in this world was one of the few things that actually scared him, though he would never admit it. He knew that their time had passed, alchemy was long forgotten, any prestige the Belli family once had had fallen into ruin. Lorenzo had ignored that fact, blind to it, blind to everything around him except for his beloved Truth. And that was what had ultimately led to his demise... _The power-hungry bastard, I hope he burns in hell_, Riccardo thought savagely, still staring at Fiona's placid face. Lorenzo had never tried to be a father figure, never been there to help him, to raise him... It was his fault, in Riccardo's mind, that he'd turned out like this. He had ended up hating the old man, hating his family, hating his very existence... until Fiona came along.

The well-off, teenaged daughter of his so-called brother, Ugo... Ugo was always favored... What little excuse for love Lorenzo gave was always toward Ugo, never himself. He hated Ugo nearly as much as the old man. He wasn't a failure, he was the perfect clone. He had gotten out, escaped, become somebody... yet he still inherited the entire castle. Well, now Riccardo was the one laughing. He'd fallen for it, he'd come back... And Riccardo, mad with envy, had killed him, and taken his daughter. It was that simple. _Why did the old fucker even keep me around_, he thought, his anger rising. _Why hadn't he just killed me when I hadn't turned out right? Why am I forced to live this way?_

He gripped the rail on the side of the operating table, trying to calm down. Everything was going to be better now, though. Everything. When he had first seen Fiona, first seen the pictures on the desk of Lorenzo's study when the old man had been gone... He was intrigued, he was enthralled. The perfect woman, and Lorenzo using her as just another body for his cause... He found out about the plan made by Lorenzo and Leonardo, to kidnap her from Ugo, to use her inherited Azoth to find the secret... and he knew that each had their own agendas. He would have to get to her first... and she would have his child. Not another Belli created as a pale imitation, not another failed experiment... just a human child.

He had no idea why he wanted this so badly... somewhere deep inside, he knew he loved Fiona, no matter how much she hated him. He wanted to be normal, he wanted to be remembered... but most of all, he knew it was because he wanted the child to have a real father and mother. He didn't want another life like his. He didn't want to become like Lorenzo, like all the other Bellis... he wanted somebody who could remember him, who could carry on his legacy. He just wanted to escape his own past.

He brushed Fiona's light hair out of her face. She was so beautiful... he closed his eyes, recalling earlier, when she and her body were all his... It was what he had wanted all this time. It was all he had dreamed and fantasized about, and although he had wanted a child, he had wanted her, too. God, how he had wanted her... They would do it again, many times... soon, if all went well... and he would wait for the day when his precious Fiona bore his heir. And she would learn to like it, to want it, beg him for it... He smiled at the thought, and knew that time was far off yet. But it would come.

He finally walked away from her side, making his way to the door, and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. He turned and stuck a large brass key in the lock, turning it and locking it from both the inside and the outside. Fendari had told him that this was one of the only rooms in the mansion that had a lock like that, but it suited Riccardo perfectly. He didn't want his prize escaping if she woke up, and it would also keep a certain unwanted visitor out. He turned the corner and headed for the foyer, planning on going back out to the car and retrieving Hewie. As he walked, he thought about the whole unlikely situation he found himself in.

Fendari had revived him somehow, using some secret only he knew, only he, being the way he was, could perform... but he had never particularly liked Riccardo, and had always been a loner, a servant to Lorenzo and then Leonardo. Riccardo wondered idly how old the man was, because he still appeared so young, but more so why he had bothered to bring Riccardo to Fiona. He knew that he must want a favor, but what? What could Riccardo have that Fendari could possibly want? And why did he suddenly want to kill his own master? Maybe it was a lie, a ruse, but he had appeared very anxious, even nervous when Riccardo had talked to him. He had not been lying. What was going on here right now was their business, and Riccardo wanted no part of it. But little did he know that their business was coming to meet him at that very moment.

He heard shuffling footsteps ahead of him, and stopped. It wasn't Fendari... he hoped to god it wasn't Leonardo returning yet, he wasn't ready... But it almost sounded like an injured person, somebody having difficulty walking. He saw her appear at the end of the hall from the foyer, and stopped dead. At first he thought Hewie had somehow escaped, seeing a canine by the girl's side, but that wasn't what had surprised him. It was the girl herself. Gears turned in his mind, trying to figure out what was going on. This was impossible...

"Daniella?" He called, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. But he saw her clearly, coming toward him...

"Please, help me... I'm going to faint... I can't..."

The girl with a voice distinctly different than Daniella's swayed a bit, then fell to the floor. What was going on? Just when Riccardo thought he had things figured out, god threw him another curveball. He ran toward the girl, the large dog that was not Hewie by her side beginning to growl at him. Why did dogs have to hate him so much? He reached his hand out, slowing down.

"Don't worry... I want to see her. She needs help."

He expected the dog to lunge at him, and put his hand on the handle of his flintlock, but amazingly it seemed to understand, and keeping a suspicious eye on him, backed off. Riccardo walked over to the girl and crouched down, rolling her face-up and taking her into his arms. She was so young, and her features were fair, but besides that she looked like that wretched maid, Daniella. She had the same hair, the same structure... He wondered how this could be when the realization finally hit him.

"Oh, dear god," he said softly, shaking his head in disbelief.


	28. Blood Red Flower

**Blood Red Flower**

Poppy stared at the man with the cracked face... there was something not right about him... but he apparently wanted to help Daniella, so he sat close to her, watching him. The man mumbled something, shook his head, then looked around, first at the dog, then around the hall. He appeared to be getting ready to drop her, go away without helping her, hesitated, then swore. Slowly he rose, keeping her in his arms. He examined her wounded legs closely, running his hands over them, then started walking the way he'd come. Poppy followed him, and the man turned around to look at him, and seemed about to tell him to go away, then hesitated again and continued on, apparently deciding it wasn't worth the effort. Poppy would never have left anyway.

He walked far down the hall, down a few stairs to the left, and removed a large key from his pocket. He put it into the door and turned it, then opened it and stepped inside, Poppy close behind. They stepped into a white, nice-smelling room. There was another person on a table in the center, this one a female. The man turned around and used his key again, then brought Daniella over to a smaller, metal table in the corner, where he put her down. Poppy walked over and whimpered, unsure of quite what was going on.

The man searched a cabinet above, looking at varous bottles and syringes, but apparently not finding what he was looking for. He sighed, then went back near the door... then heard a voice from the other side of the door. Poppy knew that voice, it was the white-faced man... he sounded almost angry. The other man walked up to the door, said a few words of his own, got a reply, then unlocked the door once more. The man with the white face stepped in, and Poppy could almost feel the anger radiating from him in waves. Obviously, something was not going his way.

He managed to keep these feelings out of his voice though, sounding as it always did. He said a few words to the cracked-face man, then reached into a pocket and held out a glass tube of some liquid. The other man looked at him suspiciously, then slowly took the tube and walked back over to Daniella. They weren't going to hurt her, were they? The white-faced man turned around and went back out the door, shutting it behind him. Something had been bothering him... Poppy walked back over to the table with his master lying on it, still unconscious.

The man took a syringe and filled it with the stuff in the tube that was given to him, then stuck the needle in her arm. Poppy didn't really like this... but he remained still. He pushed the back of the syringe all the way down, then removed it from her arm and put it down on another table with instruments on it. He leaned down and examined the strip of cloth on her leg, once white, but now stained a deep red. He lifted it, looking underneath, then took a pair of scissors from the table, and in one swift motion cut it off.

He had to peel it away, the blood keeping it stuck to her skin, and looked closely at the place where the man in black had shot her. He walked to a sink and took a rag, wetting it, and went back to the cabinet he'd been looking in earlier, taking out a tube of something. He rubbed the rag over her wound, her leg jerking reactively. He looked at her face, but she hadn't awoken. He put the rag back to the wound, cleaning it as best he could, then took the tube he had, squeezing some gel onto his fingers, and bringing his hand back down to the wound.

This time she began to stir, moaning softly, her head rolling to one side. Whatever it was, it was obviously painful to her. But she didn't wake up, and the man with the cracked face finished, going to the cabinet one last time and taking a tin and a roll of tape out. He proceeded to take a number of large white cloth squares out of the tin and tape them all over the wound. Seemingly satisfied, he turned around, giving the dog another distrustful look, then headed for the door again. As he passed her, though, the other woman stirred, making a noise. The man sighed again, saying some words under his breath, then walked over to her. Poppy saw her eyes open.

She looked up and saw the man, and promptly turned her head the other way, closing her eyes. The man said a few words to her, but she didn't respond, keeping her face turned away from him. The man said something else, then resumed walking to the door. The blonde girl then opened her eyes, staring straight at Poppy, her eyes widening. There was a look of recognition for a moment, but then it was gone. She shook her head, looking around... and looked straight at Daniella. She gasped, and she called back to the man just as he was leaving.

He looked back at her, smiling, then said something and went out the door, the telltale "click" heard after he was outside. The blonde girl slowly, and with much difficulty, managed to roll off the table and stand up, giving Poppy a wary look. He stared back at her. She looked like a nice girl... he didn't mind if she saw Daniella. Sensing this, she walked shakily to the metal table, looking down at his master and shaking her head, as the other man had done. She put her hand on the side of Daniella's face, sitting down next to her and burying her head in her hands...

Poppy could tell that nobody here was in a very good mood.


	29. Reunion

**Reunion**

"Fiona..."

It was Fiona. She was staring into Daniella's eyes, pity and compassion in her own. As Daniella's memories slowly returned to her, she wondered what Fiona would possibly be doing here. Was she even in the mansion anymore?

"It's okay... Don't worry, you're safe."

"Where's Poppy? Is he okay? He saved me again..."

Fiona smiled. "Your dog is right here. He's fine. He's a very nice dog. He reminds me of Hewie..."

Daniella reached down off the table she was on, feeling his fur, and pet him, relieved. This didn't make sense...

"Fiona... What are you doing here? It isn't safe... He's after me..."

Fiona's face changed to one of concern, worry flooding her features. "What? Who's after you?"

"The agent... the one that came to your house... He got injured, I hurt him... and now he's after me..."

Fiona interrupted her. "Wait, calm down... he's here?"

Before Daniella could answer, she heard a clicking sound, the door opened, and she saw a man enter the room. She vaguely remembered seeing this man before she passed out, asking him for help... and now that she saw him more closely, she could almost swear she had known him once. His face was covered in deep wrinkles, like cracks, but other than that... he appeared normal. He wore a brown suit made of some woven material, and carried a very old-fashioned gun. She was sure she must have seen him before, and wondered if he lived here. He had with him a dog, a White Shepherd, muzzled and on a leash. She recognized the dog at once as Hewie, the dog that Fiona had with her. He wasn't growling... but Daniella could tell it did not trust this person.

"Here you are, my dear. A little surprise from me."

He spoke to her so casually... but Daniella could sense that Fiona did not like this man. She looked at him with distrust, but then looked down at Hewie and held out her arms, a smile crossing her face. The other man slowly took the muzzle and leash off of Hewie, and the dog ran to Fiona, nearly tackling her. Fiona clung to the dog, sighing. Daniella heard Poppy whimpering, not quite sure what to think of this new dog. The man looked down at Fiona, raising an eyebrow.

"No thank you? I'll have you know I could have just left him behind."

Fiona looked up at the man, disgust in her eyes.

"Why would I thank you for what you've done, Riccardo? You expect me to be grateful? You make me sick..."

The man named Riccardo laughed, apparently actually amused by this. Daniella had no idea what he had done to her, but knew enough to get the feeling that there wasn't any humor in it. He came around to her side, running his hand along her neck. Fiona shuddered, but didn't stop him.

"Well, at least you're talking to me now. That's a step forward. It appears you've met our new patient. I found her in the hall. Are you feeling well now?"

Daniella nodded, getting off the table and standing up. She actually was feeling quite a bit better...

Riccardo, seeing this, walked over to the door, unlocked it, and held it open, fixing her with a cold stare.

"Good. Then get out."

Fiona gasped, but Daniella just slowly nodded again. Somehow, she knew that was coming... She looked down at the bullet wound in her leg, seeing it cleaned and gauze taped over it, and now remembering clearly what had happened. She knew what he had done for her.

Fiona attempted valiantly to defend her. "You can't make her leave! Somebody out there is chasing her! Riccardo, I swear, if you do this I'll never speak to you again..."

Riccardo snorted. "Her being here greatly jeopardizes both of our lives..."

Daniella shook her head, then actually smiled at Fiona. "No, it's all right... He saved my life. I understand... I have things I need to do anyway."

It appeared that Fiona and Riccardo both were surprised by her reply, and she called Poppy as she crossed the room, the dog keeping a lot of distance from Hewie, eying the White Shepherd warily. She made it to the door, but before leaving, turned to Riccardo, taking his hard, dry hand in hers.

"Thank you, sir. I am in your debt."

Riccardo just stood there, at a loss for words. Maybe he was even a little humbled. She walked calmly out the door, Poppy close on her heels. She knew she would have to face her fears sometime... better now than later. She heard the door close and lock behind her, and stepped out into the hallway. She smiled to herself. She knew that there was more to that man than he let on... and realized that, for some reason, she actually trusted him more than any other person in the mansion.


	30. Azoth

**Azoth**

Fendari stood in the middle of the small room with the table, sweeping up the broken shards of glass from the oil lamp his master knocked over days ago, and thinking to himself. Riccardo had gotten to her before he had, and that infuriated him. It was a total fluke, had she not been walking through that passageway at that time, he would never have found her. Just when he thought he could finally take her... he had failed to account for that possibility, so it was really his own fault. He knew there would probably be numerous other opportunities... But he didn't know how much longer he could wait. Now that she was here, it was becoming almost unbearable.

He had been forced to give Riccardo the antidote, not wanting the man to find out about his plan, his perverted desire. And now, with that intruder somehow surviving... it was a miracle he survived the nail trap, even more a miracle he was up and walking, and still coming after his prize. No matter that he no longer knew who he was, or what he was doing... the man still posed a threat. Fendari knew that Leana was most likely smart enough to solve the puzzle in the atrium, and decided to wait until then to attempt to abduct her again.

Since the incident in the operating room, he had given up following her for the time being. He assumed she could fend for herself, and knew he'd probably run into her soon enough anyway. But precious time was wasting... the master could arrive at any minute. And if she fell into his hands... he didn't like to think about that. Hundreds of years this longing had been inside him, hundreds of years it burned... And finally, after all this time, she had returned to him. This time, he would not let anything get in his way.

* * *

Daniella examined the wall. A single word was painted... AZOTH. She had entered this room from the hallway, deciding to enter because it struck her interest... the door was painted red. It reminded her of the door leading into that awful skeleton room, which was blue, so she knew it had to have some importance. After that experience, though, she was a little hesitant on entering.

Beneath the word, there was a square hole cut into the stone. Inside this hole were three closed glass jars, the one on the left holding a silvery liquid, the one in the middle holding a white powder, and the one on the right holding a yellowish substance. Was this another strange puzzle? Why would somebody put this in their house? It must have been some sort of security mechanism... but why couldn't they just use locks like normal people? It was starting to creep her out...

Poppy was sniffing at the jars, the one on the right for some reason catching his interest. Daniella knew that there was some way to solve this, that it was designed to be solved by anybody, you just had to be smart enough. She looked intently at the word painted on the wall, noticing it was painted in different colors. The "A" was painted in yellow, the "Z" in red, the "O" in blue, and the "TH" both black. Above each of the first three letters, there were more small holes, big enough to fit one of the glass jars each. A fourth was placed above the "TH". What was this? What was she supposed to do?

Daniella crouched down beside Poppy, examining the jars. She knew what was in the one on the left, had seen it before. It was unmistakable, there was no other substance in the world that looked quite like it. It was filled with mercury, and she knew that it was deadly stuff, and did not dare open the jar. To the right of that one was a jar filled with white powder... but a closer inspection revealed not powder, but very small crystals. She decided it didn't look very hazardous and slowly took off the top. She thought she knew what it was, but couldn't be sure. There was only one way to find out...

Hoping it wasn't poisonous, she took a bit on her finger and put it on her tongue, and her suspicions were confirmed. It was just ordinary salt. She closed the jar again, and looked at the one on the right, which Poppy was still sniffing at. It was a sickly yellowish-green, and Daniella knew what it was just by looking at it. To be sure, she carefully removed it from the hole and removed the top.

Sure enough, a pungent odor filled the air immediately. Poppy drew back, suddenly deciding he wasn't so interested in it anymore. It was sulphur. She quickly put the top back on, and put it back in the hole. So we had mercury, salt, and sulphur... she was probably supposed to put them in a certain order in the holes above the letters... and judging by what she'd already been through, she guessed that if she got it wrong, she wouldn't live to give it a second try.

She tried to think, thinking back to anything that might give her a hint as to how to do this... then she remembered. SALT... it had been carved on the blue diamond. _Blue..._ She looked back at the letters. The "O"... it was blue. She decided that this was her answer, and was about to put it in the hole, when she hesitated. What if she was wrong? What if it was just a coincidence that the salt crest had been blue, and she put it in, and some horrible death came to her? She looked down at her dog, staring at the wall confusedly, and sniffing every once in a while at the "A". Whatever happened, he would be with her. She put it in the hole, and heard a clicking noise. Daniella looked around worriedly, but nothing else happened.

She sighed, and went back to the other jars. That was the only crest she'd found... she had no idea what colors these were. Red, yellow, and black were left. She was starting to think she wouldn't be able to do it after all when she remembered Fendari's words to her... _Mercury is a red planet. _Was he trying to tell her how to do this? Did he know she would end up here? It was all she had to go on... and she had promised herself she would find out the secret of this place. Slowly, with a trembling hand, she reached for the mercury and put it above the red "Z". Another click. She looked back at the last bottle, and up at the two spaces left. Which one was it?

She noticed Poppy still sniffing around the hole above the "A". She watched him intently, sniffing around for a moment, then sat back, looking at her and whimpering.

"What is it, boy?", she asked as she looked inside the hole. She noticed the distinct smell of sulphur there, too... so that must mean...

Daniella took the last jar and placed it above the "A", closing her eyes and hoping it was all correct. There was a final "click", and she heard something begin to move behind the wall. She stepped back, fearing for a moment she was wrong, but all that happened was a small silver object fell into the hole above the "TH". She moved forward cautiously, taking it and examining it. It was another key... this one had a symbol carved into it, though. A cane with snakes... she had seen it before, and she felt fear rise in her as she remembered where...

The torture chamber.


	31. Bad Blood

**Bad Blood**

Riccardo came back into the room, carrying as much food as he could handle, and kicked the door shut behind him. It was all canned and made to be cooked, but unfortunately right now they didn't have that luxury, and couldn't exactly ask for much. He saw Fiona sitting on the edge of the operating table, and dropped the cans of food in a cloth bag hanging on one side of the room.

"I need to go to the bathroom," said Fiona irritably as Riccardo walked to the door with the key. He sighed, and beckoned her.

"All right, but I'll have to escort you. We wouldn't want you trying to escape."

"Of course not," Fiona said callously, but he knew she was grateful for the food. He thought he noticed her being at least a little less cold to him after he'd brought her her dog, although he knew she was still angry he'd made the other girl leave. He still had no idea how she'd gotten here, if she was who he thought she was. And he had been surprised that she'd been so compliant... but after all, she was right, he _had_saved her life. But if she was here, she was here for a reason, and Riccardo didn't want to know what it was. Although he wouldn't tell Fiona, he did feel a little bad about making her leave... but he knew it had to be done.

Fiona stood and came to the door, Hewie close behind her. Riccardo stepped out ahead of her, seeing that she closed it behind her, and told her to wait, walking up the short flight of stairs and looking down the hallway, first left, then right. It was clear. He told her quietly to follow him, and headed for the bathroom down the hall, keeping a close watch on her.

* * *

Fiona would have tried to make a break for it then and there if it weren't for the other girl, Daniella, being trapped in here with her. Fiona wanted to make sure that she was okay, because she really felt bad for her. But the truth of the matter was she really _did _have to pee, it wasn't a ruse, and besides, she knew Riccardo was watching her like a hawk, turning his head every few seconds to make sure she was close behind. He appeared very nervous, as if he feared being discovered by someone. Finally, he stopped at a door on the other side of the hall, and motioned with his hand.

"Make it quick," he said, standing guard outside.

She scowled at him, and walked into the restroom with Hewie. She knew that if she couldn't run away, the next best thing would be to give Riccardo no satisfaction, to keep hating him. All he wanted was to fuck her as far as she was concerned, and she couldn't stop him, but she could do the next best thing and just lie there like a dead fish, making sure he got as little pleasure as possible out of it. She closed the door to the stall, telling Hewie to wait outside, pulling down her skirt, and sat down.

Fiona hadn't exactly been the most virtuous girl in high school, so at least he hadn't taken her virginity on that night... but that hardly changed anything. Still, she hated that man with a passion. He'd brought Hewie back to her, probably hoping to get some sort of gratitude out of her... but she could never forgive him. Once she was finished, she left the stall, washed her hands, and called Hewie to her side as she left the bathroom, Riccardo standing just where she'd left him.

"Quick enough?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on," he ordered her, grabbing her arm and taking her back to the doorway of the operating room. He unlocked the door and opened it, ushering Fiona and Hewie inside, then locked the door once more when they were all inside. She glowered at him.

"So how long do you expect to keep me cooped up in this one room?" she asked, "I don't see why I can't go anywhere else in the house."

"You won't be safe out there, Fiona," he replied, walking toward her.

"Oh, is that it? Since when did you give a rat's ass about my safety?" Fiona felt herself reaching her boiling point. "It's just because you think I'll try and escape, isn't it? You've never cared about me!"

Riccardo just stood there, smiling as a parent smiles at a naive child. "That's not true, Fiona."

This infuriated her even more, and she slapped him across the face. "Not true? Don't you look at me like that! You cared about me enough to murder my family, is that it? You cared about me enough to rape and kidnap me?"

Riccardo held the spot where she had slapped him, his eyes now burning. Fiona saw that she had gone too far. "I don't want to hurt you, Fiona...", he hissed at her, "But I will if you ever hit me again." He stayed silent for a moment, then turned away from her.

"I cared about you enough to save you from Lorenzo. He would have killed you. If you don't like me, go ahead, hate me. But at least understand that."

Fiona could have laughed. How could he pretend to be sincere after all he'd put her through?

"I don't care," she said softly, sitting back down on the bed, staring angrily at her feet. Hewie padded over, nuzzling her hand, trying to get her out of her bad mood. She pet the fur on his head absently, thinking. She hoped Daniella would be all right...


	32. The Uninvaded Door

**The Uninvaded Door**

Daniella walked through the corridor toward the torture chamber, lack of sleep now threatening to overcome her. She didn't know how long she'd been passed out, but knew it had probably been less than an hour, because it was still dark outside. As she walked beside Poppy, who was also looking a bit drowsy, she thought idly about herself. Who was she, really? That was the whole reason she'd come here, to find the answer to that question. She knew what mercury, salt, and sulphur were by the way they looked... if she were just a clone, how could she possibly know some of this practical knowledge? And that dream she'd had seemed quite a bit like a memory... there were still a lot of questions waiting to be answered.

She had thought about it, and decided she had to go back to that awful place, whether she wanted to or not. She had to keep reminding herself that she needed to find the truth. On the bright side, at least she wouldn't have to see the body again, face down and dripping with blood from what she had done to him... on the not-so-bright, said body was now up and trying to kill her. She shook her head and stepped in front of the small stone stairway cut into the wall, the doorway at the bottom still wide open, beckoning her inside... She shivered, and started down the stairs.

"Come on, Poppy," Daniella called quietly. The room still made her feel as if she were being chased. Poppy walked through the doorway ahead of her, remembering this room. He ran down toward the doorway, running over the loose brick and setting off the trap once more. Daniella had thought herself ready for it, but still jumped when she heard them hit the wall. He never seemed to notice the nails at all, just kept walking... Daniella noticed that there were now quite a few nails beginning to collect on the floor. She absolutely hated this place, and tried her best not to look around at all of the horrible equipment stored here. Cautiously, she stepped over the brick, still ducking just in case. She tried to avoid looking at the blood stains on the floor, those of both she and the agent, but found herself staring at them anyway, thinking back, remembering the indescribable fear of knowing that she was going to die...

Poppy barked, rousing her out of her dark memories, and she shook her head, starting toward the red-painted door, emblazoned with that gold symbol. She found the keyhole, and slowly stuck the key in. The door clicked, and swung open. She stared at the room before her... it looked exactly like the skeleton room, except for the fact that there were no skeletons. Just a simple stone altar in the middle, holding another crest, this one triangle-shaped and red. She looked warily around the room, remembering what had happened to her last time... but there were no slats at the bottom of the wall, no holes from which unspeakable things could crawl, no tunnel outside the door... just an ordinary, small stone room.

Although she still didn't have a good feeling about it, Daniella decided that she had to go in if she ever wanted to get out of here. She slowly walked into the room, Poppy close behind, looking about cautiously. He too, apparently, remembered last time... She stepped up to the dust-covered stone altar, looking the same as the other one except for the crest in the center, this one with "MERCURY" carved into it. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly pulled it out of the depression, dust flying everywhere. She waited for the door to close, to lock, like last time, for something to happen... but nothing did.

After waiting a while, Daniella sneezed, relieved, then crouched down and pet Poppy, smiling at him.

"Come on, boy. We're going back to the nice big garden room!"

Crest in hand, she walked back outside of the room with Poppy, who walked onto the brick yet again... but this time, no nails shot out. Maybe the crest had something to do with it... Not taking any chances, she stepped over the brick, hoping she wouldn't have to come back into this room again, when Poppy began growling. She saw the shadow almost immediately afterwards, silhouetted in the light coming from the stairway... and she knew from the stature and the unmistakable shape of a gun in his hand that the agent was standing at the top of the stairs.

Daniella looked around frantically for a place to hide as Poppy began growling louder... the room was very dark, maybe if she hid in the corner he wouldn't be able to see her... but it was lit well enough for her to know that this was not a good idea. Suddenly, something on the other side of the room caught her eye, and she knew what it was... the Iron Maiden. A hideous device shaped like a coffin, people were put into it and impaled by spikes that came out of the sides. It was hanging open, the spikes retracted. It was her only chance of hiding... but if he found her... She spotted the lever on the floor in front of it. All he would have to do would be to pull that, and it would all be over. But she had to do something...

She looked at the shadow, he was still apparently standing at the top of the stairs, and Poppy had not moved, but was still growling fiercely. She took a deep breath, then dashed to the other side of the room, hoping he couldn't see her, and threw herself into the Iron Maiden, trying to close the door quietly, but it still made a loud clang when she shut it. She saw the shadow of the man, who undoubtedly heard the noise, begin to move through a hole in the front, and saw him appear in the doorway. Poppy stood in the middle of the room, his growl rumbling threateningly. The man didn't even spare Poppy a glance, and after a few seconds, entered the room.

The dog began circling around him, preparing to attack, but the agent seemed not to notice him. Daniella knew the only thing he cared about now was finding her, killing her. He looked around the room stupidly, and she tried to keep the sound of her heavy breathing as controlled as possible. Every time she looked at him, she saw the nails in his head, the dead eyes, and knew that it was her fault. She tried not to look, but she had to know if he was getting close to her. He began walking in her direction, his eyes on the Iron Maiden. She ducked down so he could not see her through the hole, placing her hands over her eyes.

Daniella heard him approach and stop near her, imagined him pulling the lever. He would do it, and she would be dead... But he didn't. She heard him moving away from the Iron Maiden, heard her dog barking viciously, hoping the man continued not to notice him... She slowly stood back up, being careful not to make a sound, and saw him looking at the passageway heading toward the room she'd gotten the crest from. She watched as he began moving toward the passage... he would step on the brick again, and it would all be over. He'd never survive two times... He put his foot onto it... but nothing happened.

She had forgotten already... she must have deactivated it when she took the crest. She knew she couldn't stay in here, next time he might find her... She waited a few seconds, until she was sure the man was in the other room, then kicked open the steel door of the Iron Maiden, yelling for Poppy, and running as fast as she could toward the stairway that led into the hall.


	33. Unwelcome Encounter

**Unwelcome Encounter**

Daniella didn't stop running until she had reached the atrium. She shoved open the large glass doors and nearly fell to the floor, her lungs burning, heart pounding, lips parched, and gasping for breath. She'd never run so hard before, and just stood there doubled over for some time before she could stand back up. She looked out the glass doors worriedly. But she wasn't watching for the agent... she was watching for Poppy. She had been running as fast as possible, the bullet wound in her leg starting to bleed again, and had no time to check if the dog had been keeping up with her. She hoped nothing had happened to him...

But she did not dare go back out there. If he found her again... she might be dead. Daniella stood at the glass for a moment longer, but seeing nothing she turned sadly away. She looked out at the room... and suddenly realized she was not alone. Fendari was standing next to the pool of water, staring down at his own reflection. She knew he had noticed her, anyone would've... but he was not facing her. The gaze of his mask stayed fixed on the surface of the water, and he stood there, unmoving. Daniella didn't like him, didn't want him to be here... but she had no choice. She cleared her throat, calling to him.

"Fendari... what are you doing here?"

The man did not look away from the water, but replied to her in his deep, unnerving voice, which echoed around the spacious room.

"Waiting for you, milady."

Daniella shook her head in confusion. Why would he want to see her... and how did he know...

"Waiting... for me? ...Why? Are you going to explain to me what's going on around here?"

That last bit she didn't mean to say out loud, but she was almost glad she did. He was just becoming weirder and weirder, and it was beginning to scare her. She just wanted some answers. Finally, he turned his gaze on her, the black eye holes transfixing her.

"I assumed you were coming here to figure that question out for yourself. I see you already have another medallion."

She just stood there in silence. There was so much she didn't know about him... why was he doing this to her?

"Go ahead, put it in," he said finally, breaking the unbearable silence between them, otherwise broken only by the sound of the rushing water. "You're getting very close to completing it."

"Why?" She asked finally, getting frustrated. She couldn't take it anymore. "Why do you put me through these awful trials? Do you get some sick pleasure out of it or something? Why are these stupid puzzles here in the first place? And why is there a torture chamber in this house, anyway? Why don't you care about the fact that I'm being chased around your house? I could be killed, you know! I could be killed before your "master" ever has the chance to meet me! And who is _he?" _She took a deep breath, unable to keep the built-up confusion and rage out of her voice any longer. "Why do you keep giving me these cryptic messages, then disappearing? And what kind of servant wears such a ridiculous mask? Just _who _are you, anyway?

She stood there staring at him, shaking. She never meant to say anything to him, she just wanted him to stay away from her... but she just couldn't keep it inside any longer. She wanted to know what was going on, and she wanted to know _now_. He just stood there, leaving a long pause like he always did, then only managing to make her more angry with his simple answer.

"All the answers will be revealed to you, in time," he said flatly, as if he had no interest in her concerns. Each time Daniella met him, he grew more suspicious. She knew that he had all the answers... he just wasn't telling her. She shook her head and walked back toward the doors, looking out into the hall.

"Your dog was with me," she said, turning away from the glass. "I don't know what's happened to him. He protected me from that man... he could be dead."

He started walking toward her suddenly, causing her to step back against the glass. She almost told him not to come near her... though he'd never hurt her, he had only helped her... but her eyes still wandered to the sword at his belt, and now she saw that it was covered in dried blood. She knew there was some dark motive behind all this. He continued toward her, and her breath caught in her throat as he got close to her. Too close. He pressed her against the glass with his body, reaching out to touch her face, and a scream welled up inside of her, filling her with terror as she stared into his sick grinning white mask, any trace of a face invisible beneath a dark shadow... he leaned in close to her ear, and whispered to her.

"Watch this," he said quietly, and took a step back from her, but she remained there, plastered against the glass, her eyes wide, breathing rapid. She wanted to run... she knew now that he was not safe, she knew what he had been thinking... but he just opened the other door and whistled once out into the hall. A few seconds passed, and then Daniella heard the familiarly comforting sound of a dog's paws on the stone floor. Poppy bounded into sight, apparently unharmed, and stood by the man, who looked back at her.

"Will that be all, miss?" he asked in that same calm voice. She stepped quickly away from him, calling Poppy to her side. The dog ran to her happily, glad to see her again, but seemed to take note of the tension between the two, and looked back and forth between them worriedly. At least she felt a little better with him beside her. She backed slowly away from Fendari, the man watching her receding figure.

"Please... just go away. Leave me alone," she told him, the fear evident in her voice. He wanted her to be scared, didn't he? But why? What did he want with her?

And then she actually heard the man laugh. He was always speaking so seriously, and hearing the sardonic cackle was just that more unnerving. He was getting some twisted joy out of seeing her like this. She wanted to be out of his sight, far away from him... He turned away from her, opening one of the glass doors and exiting the room, but stopping and saying one last thing before the door shut.

"Do let me know if you're in need of further assistance, miss."

The door closed, and Fendari walked off down the hall. Daniella walked over and collapsed against one of the trees in the room, dropping the crest and clinging to Poppy, her head spinning. She wanted to leave. This place terrified her. And she knew that's exactly what he wanted.


	34. The Search for Sulphur

**The Search for Sulphur**

Daniella slowly put the Mercury Crest in its place to the left of the Salt Crest. She looked up toward the impressive pillars on the other side of the room, and after a few seconds, the second one began to move, just as she suspected it would. She felt the ground trembling beneath her feet as the massive stone pillar moved to the side beneath the water shot out of the mouth of the old man face carved into the top of the first one. That's when she realized... that's why she thought she'd seen Riccardo before! Whoever's face was carved at the top... it looked quite a bit like Riccardo's, except for those strange cracks that had been in his face. Maybe he was related to the former owner of this house... Still, she knew she'd seen him somewhere else, too.

Her attention back to the task at hand, she watched as the smaller pillar moved beneath the flow of water, the same face carved at the top of that one, the stone mouth sliding open as on the taller one, and the water shooting out, falling into the same pool of water, but close to the edge. If she could just get the third one into position, the water would be going into the empty, smaller pool in front, and she was more sure now than ever that something of value to her would happen. The way Fendari had been talking to her about it, as if he knew she would find something... He knew what was going to happen.

The movement stopped, and the room was still once more. She wondered where the last crest could possibly be as she watched Poppy jump around in the simulated jungle. She had been looking for any more painted doors... She assumed the last one would have to be yellow, since that was the color for sulphur in that strange "Azoth" puzzle, but hadn't noticed any offhand. She knew she could find it if she looked hard enough... but she wanted to get it done in as little time as possible. She knew with each passing second she was wandering those halls, she had a chance of being found by Fendari, or worse, the agent...

Daniella put her hand to her forehead. It was beginning to ache. The lack of sleep, all of the stress she'd endured, all the wounds she'd suffered... it really was taking a toll on her, and she was having a hard time just staying alert and thinking clearly. She looked upwards, past the glass dome, and sighed. One side of the sky was beginning to take on a lighter color, and she knew that daytime wasn't far away. And yet whoever was the owner of this mansion still hadn't returned. She thought about him, the notes he'd given her, their meeting in Fiona's driveway, and was beginning to wonder if he really did want to help her, or if there was something else going on...

She licked her dry lips and whistled, remembering how Fendari called Poppy, and wondering if he would still come to her. The dog jerked his head up, ears perked, and saw her, then trotted over, shaking all the leaves off of his body. She kneeled, praising him, then turned back toward the glass doors. The last crest was out there, somewhere... She just had to find it. She was so determined to complete the waterfall... she didn't know why, she just knew that part of her was missing, and that doing this could help her find it. But there was one stop she wanted to make before she started searching.

* * *

"All right... No, really, I'm okay... Thank you."

Anne Weston hung up the phone for what must have been the fifth time that night. She looked blearily out the window, seeing the brightening sky, then at the clock, which read 5:17 AM. She had been waiting all night for any news concerning her husband Jack, anything at all... but so far, he still hadn't returned. They told her at the office he had gone out to investigate a suspected drug operation, and that he had more than enough backup and should be fine... but still, she felt as if something were out of place.

Jack had left at around six last evening, telling her that he was working the night shift and he'd probably be back by three or so. She had sent Ron to bed, and would probably have gone to bed herself, not worried about it... but she kept getting this same feeling that there was something he wasn't telling her. Ever since that homicide investigation at Belli Castle he'd been acting strangely around her, trying to avoid talking about his work and reminding her a little too often how much he loved her and the kids.

She tried mentioning this to him a few nights ago, but he said that he would never keep anything from her, and then abruptly turned off the light and went to sleep. She decided to stay up and wait for him to return, just to make sure he got back safely... but still he hadn't contacted the station since they set out, and he was now quite late. He was probably fine, and this was all probably nothing... but she still worried about him. His was a risky business, and he knew that ever since he'd joined the force. Anne just hoped that he hadn't had to use his gun tonight...


	35. Strangers in the Night

**Strangers in the Night**

Riccardo sat on the cold metal stool in the dark room, gloomily eating baked beans from a can. He hadn't had anything to eat all day, and he was ravenous. Although he despised baked beans when they were cooked, and these ones were stone cold, he'd eat anything right now. It was hard enough to just get the damn can open... He had to cut the top off with a surgical knife, which took a hell of a lot more effort than he thought it would, and as for what he was eating them with... He had no idea, some scoop-shaped instrument, probably used to scoop out someone's brains or something. He'd made sure to wash it thoroughly... but still, he wouldn't have done it if he wasn't as hungry as he was.

He looked over at Fiona, lying with her back turned to him on the operating table, sleeping soundly, Hewie curled on the floor beside her. She laid down about an hour ago, not saying a word to him, but obviously trying to get some sleep. Riccardo knew that she wouldn't be able to catch a wink with those glaring fluorescent lights on overhead, and wondered why she hadn't just gotten up and turned them off. Finally, he walked over and did it for her. She made no acknowledgement of this, but Riccardo didn't expect her to. He knew she couldn't hate him forever.

Soon afterwards, she fell asleep, leaving Riccardo awake in the room, the only light now coming from an x-ray panel on the other side of the room that was on, not that that helped much. He noticed himself nodding off, and knew he couldn't fight off sleep himself much longer. His only concern was... what if, while he was asleep, Fiona took the key from his pocket and tried to escape? He knew she would, if the chance arose, and it was about then that he realized how truly hungry he was. At least food took his mind off sleep for a good half-hour, and half of that was spent just opening the can.

He knew they had plenty of water, there was a faucet in the room, and he knew that they could both stay in here for as long as necessary. And he'd thought of something else while he was eating his disgusting meal... why didn't he just hide the key somewhere in the room where Fiona couldn't find it? He looked around, but could hardly see anything by the faint x-ray light... but that meant neither could she. He could just put it in some dark corner of the room, and if she turned on the lights, it would definitely wake him up. He put the half-eaten can of beans down, unable to eat any more without retching, and tired enough to literally drop to the floor. He got up, about to put his plan into action... when he heard a noise from the door. No... it couldn't be...

But he heard it again. Somebody was knocking. Who... had Fendari betrayed him, and told Leonardo of his whereabouts? Riccardo had no idea if the man had returned yet... but maybe it _was_ Fendari, maybe something had happened... again knocking, this time accompanied by a dog's whimper. Riccardo brought his hand up to his face, relieved yet annoyed at the same time. It was only _her._ That homunculus and her damned dog... _What is it with dogs,_he thought, looking back with disgust at Hewie, who he could barely see in the faint light, now apparently awake, having heard the other one. He debated whether to even bother.

"Fiona? Fiona, are you there?" He heard her voice from the doorway. No, he didn't want to be involved, he didn't want any part of it... He moved to put the key away and go to sleep.

After a moment, the voice returned. "...Riccardo?"

Riccardo stopped dead. What the devil... how did she know his name? Fiona must have told her, the blasted girl...

"Please... let me in... I need help."

Riccardo inhaled though his teeth, taking all he had not to yell in frustration. Why the fuck should he care? He helped her once, now she was on her own. But... what if she told somebody about him being here? She could ruin his whole plan... How did he get mixed up in this? His mind ran circles, and he realized hopelessly that there was no other way out but to let her in. He moved toward the doorway, making no attempt now to soften the sound of his footsteps.

"What do you want?" he asked quietly in his most spiteful voice possible.

The reply didn't come for a few seconds. "I'm sorry... I know you didn't want me coming back, but... I need some answers. And I think you're the only one who can tell me."

Riccardo felt his impatience rising. He was liking this girl less and less. "You're damned right I didn't want you coming back!" He paused, sighing in frustration.

"Are you alone?"

"Yes, It's just me and Po... um, my dog."

Riccardo thought, wondering if he could really afford to do this. Finally, he gave up.

"You'd better make this quick."

He fumbled with the key, trying to find the lock in the darkness. He finally pushed it in and turned it, opening the door. Light flooded through, and the girl and her dog walked in. Riccardo looked back, fearing that it might have awakened Fiona, but her back was turned to the light, and her sleep was undisturbed. Hewie, however, was now walking toward them, investigating. Riccardo took one cold look at the girl, then shut the door, enveloping the room once more in darkness. He was used to it, and his eyes adjusted right away, but she looked around with a frown, unable to see anything.

"It's very dark in-"

He cut her off, grabbing her arm, which caused her breath to catch. He had no time for this.

"Speak," was all he said.


	36. Answers

**Answers**

Daniella nodded slowly, getting herself together. She knew he didn't want her here. She would have to try to make this as quick as possible, so she decided just to get right to it.

"What's the importance of salt, mercury, and sulphur?"

Although she couldn't quite see him, she imagined the look of puzzlement on his face in the brief silence.

"That's what was so important you had to ask me about?"

"No, that's not all. Just tell me, if you know..."

"Listen, ..." She heard him pause, not knowing what to call her.

"Uh... call me Daniella."

She heard him laugh sarcastically. "I'd rather not. I don't even know why it's important," he retorted, "but salt, mercury, and sulphur are the three prime elements used in the arcane science of alchemy. Mercury is the positive force, salt is the negative. I'm not talking about sodium chloride, or quicksilver, or common brimstone, not when they are used in alchemy. They are completely different than the chemicals you know. It would take all night to explain it to you."

Daniella nodded. At least things were a little clearer.

"Listen, is that all, because you need to go..."

"Who am I?" she abruptly interrupted him. She wanted so badly for him to be able to tell her...

Another silence. "What? Why the hell do you think I know that?"

"Well... you were at Belli Castle, weren't you? You had kidnapped Fiona, that's why she doesn't like you, isn't it?"

She could see him a little now, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. "Aren't you the clever one? So what of it?"

"That's where I woke up... I was in this machine, this tank... and I just thought you might..."

"Well, I don't." He replied, the stress evident in his voice. "You were just another clone, created by Lorenzo I assume. I don't know whose image you were created in, but it was obviously the same person as our delightful maid, Daniella. I didn't create you, I don't know 'who you are.'"

Daniella shook her head, unable to process all the information at once. "Wait... who's Lorenzo?"

"It's a long story... but he's dead now anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter, does it? Is that all?"

Daniella shook her head, losing her patience. He wasn't giving her the answers she needed. She held out a clump of her hair, which by now ran down almost to her shoulders.

"_This_, Riccardo... how did this happen?"

He looked quizzically at her. "Just what are you talking about, you crazy woman?"

"I remember having no hair at all when I got out of that tank... and now look at it! Why is it growing so fast, what's wrong with me?"

She watched as, for a moment, all the anger left his face, replaced by understanding, logic.

"Yes... Yes, I suppose that could happen, couldn't it?"

She raised her voice, starting to get frustrated herself. "_What _could happen?"

He sighed, the annoyance returning. "It's only speculation anyway. Daniella was just another failed clone, she had no life of her own... but she was less useless than those other homunculi, at least she was coherent, she looked like a person... so Lorenzo decided to keep her around as a maid. But you... you were different. You were done right. He decided, instead of keeping you around, to put you in that tank instead."

Daniella shook her head, unable to understand. "What do you mean? If I was done right... then why did he put me in there?"

"Because... he didn't want you. He wanted your life."

She stared at him. He was only confusing her more. "What are you talking about? I don't understand! What did the tank do? Why was I in there?"

"That tank... was being used to extract your Azoth."

Daniella's eyes widened. AZOTH... that was what had been painted on the wall. None of this made any sense.

"...What is Azoth?" she finally asked, trying to understand this one step at a time.

Riccardo paused, apparently debating whether to answer her. "In a word, life. It is what makes you human, what makes you whole, complete. Daniella did not have it. You did. Listen... Daniella," he said the word with distaste, "My point is, I think the reason that your hair is growing so fast is because you're aging prematurely. Your life force is weak, and slipping away much faster than a normal human's would. Since the old man was harvesting your Azoth, you don't have enough of it to function normally. I don't quite understand it... but I'm guessing that even if you do escape from here, you'll probably only have five more years to live, at most."

She let out a shivering breath, not being able to grasp what he'd said. Was that true? She hung her head, which was now filled with more questions than it was when she got here. She felt a tear drop from her eye.

"I'm sorry," Riccardo said, and it surprised her so much that she raised her head to look at him, eyes wide. Did he just say...

"What I mean is," he added hastily, a tinge of nervousness entering his voice, "I didn't want you having to hear that from me. But that's the way it is. So... are you done now?"

If she had it in her, she would have smiled right then. Somewhere deep inside, he actually cared about her, if only in the slightest capacity. But she couldn't. Not after that. She had decided that for now, she didn't want to know any more. She nodded her head, taking his hand as she'd done before.

"You've helped me greatly. I know you don't owe me anything, and I really want you to know that I appreciate-"

He jerked his hand away. It was obvious that made him extremely uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes, well, you know how to thank me? Never come back. And don't tell _anybody _Fiona and I are down here, all right?"

"You have my word," Daniella replied. She looked over at Poppy, sitting a few feet away from Hewie and examining the other dog uncertainly, as Hewie was doing to him. She called out to him, and saw his ears perk up as he looked at her in anticipation, then bounded over to her side. She pet him as they walked to the doorway, and once she was through, she turned back around.

"Take care-" she started, but the door was abruptly shut in her face, followed by the click of the lock.


	37. The Final Task

**The Final Task**

It was another twenty minutes before Daniella found the yellow door. She had been walking down one of the many indistinguishable passages in the mansion when she looked out a window on the side. It was kind of rare to find a window in here, and so she decided to approach it and look outside. Expecting to see the bay, or the endless countryside, or the town of Dark Bay in the distance, she was somewhat shocked to see a courtyard. Surrounded on all sides by walls, there was an open area with grass and a bench, she could even make out a drinking fountain. It looked quite appealing to her right then, and she knew she could use a little fresh air.

"Poppy, come," she called, but still not very loudly. She was more paranoid now than ever of running somebody hearing her.

The dog walked to her side, and she looked for a door from which she could access the courtyard. She circled nearly all the way around it before she found the door, and opened it, stepping outside and taking a deep breath. It was a little bit cold, but she didn't mind at all. She just stood there for a moment, looking up at the ever-brightening sky and breathing the crisp air as Poppy ran gladly to a tree and urinated. She looked over at him, smiling. He'd probably been holding that in for a long time... and she saw it.

Straight past the tree, on the right side of the courtyard, was a yellow door. She could hardly tell, as the light was still pretty dim, but she could see the color. She looked around, seeing nobody, and no sign of a trap, and slowly walked toward the door. She approached it and, finding it unlocked, turned the knob and pushed it open. There was a hallway leading into what looked like an art gallery of some sort. She looked backward, calling Poppy again, and headed into the room. It was a circular room with a low ceiling, and all around the room were hung various paintings of people.

She looked more closely... and each one had a button and a carved message underneath. They were all equally spaced, except for a spot straight across from the hallway, which instead of a painting had a single bronze plaque set in the wall. She moved over to the plaque, and read the words that were inscribed there.

_Life and death are but concepts of the mind_

_Eternity and balance are the only realities in the universe_

_And the Great Truth is the bridge between._

Daniella read it over many times, trying to make any sense out of it. This was no doubt another one of their sick puzzles, meant to confuse and terrify her. She looked around and saw that Poppy was already bored of this room and was heading back out toward the courtyard. She couldn't blame him... at least this way he could warn her if anybody was coming. She read the plaque once more, then began going around and examining the paintings.

Each one was different, but they all had buttons underneath, and a message in the stone. She walked up to a painting of a woman... a woman who had violet hair. She examined it more closely... who was this? Could she possibly be related to whoever it was? The woman looked older, more refined, and was wearing clothes that looked like they were from a long time ago, the sixteenth or seventeenth century. She was beautiful... Daniella looked below the painting, and read the words.

_Azoth opens the way._

This just puzzled Daniella even more. Was any of this supposed to mean anything to her? She sighed, moving to the next painting over... It was a middle-aged man, balding, and... wait a minute... she'd seen this man before. Her dream flashed back to her, and finally things began falling into place. She'd had a dream about this man, although she remembered nothing about it. And that's why Riccardo had looked so familiar to her... it wasn't because of the stone pillars in the atrium, it was because of the dream. Whoever this was bore a striking resemblance to Riccardo. She didn't necessarily want to know why, she just wanted to get this over with. She bent down and examined the message.

_Understanding the realities in the universe is key._

A similar message had been on the plaque... something about balance. She would have to keep that in mind. She looked at the next painting over, a painting of a man who was actually strikingly handsome, in a dark sort of way. The man had intense eyes, filled with fire, and had flaming red hair. He wore a long robe, and was grinning. She wished she knew who it was. Once more, she examined the message underneath.

_Do not be fooled by concepts of the mind, for they are meaningless._

Again, Daniella remembered something similar on the plaque. She knew that it all had to tie together somehow... and then she got an idea. She went back to the plaque, trying to commit it to memory. She had to push the buttons in the right order... in the order they came on the plaque. That had to be it. Or at least she really hoped so. She went back to the painting of the young man with the red hair, and closed her eyes. She had that same familiar feeling that she only had one chance to get this right. Trembling, she reached out her hand and pushed the button.

Nothing happened. The button remained depressed, but aside from that there was no indication that it had done anything. She opened her eyes, everything appearing normal, and let out her breath. She hated being constantly scared, wondering every moment if it would be her last. All she could do was remind herself that she had to do it. Slowly, she walked over to the painting of the familiar middle-aged man. That would mean that this one is next... She pushed the button there. Still nothing. She had to find something about a great truth, or a bridge, or something...

She looked around for it, and it took her a while to find it. Most of the paintings had comments under them that weren't of any help to her, things about earth and alchemy. The last one she looked at was all the way on the right. It was a painting of an old man, who looked very frail and as if he could die at any moment. She didn't know if she'd ever seen such a sickly looking man. Hoping that the message would help her somehow, she looked down and read it.

_It was the discovery of the bridge that led to the revelation._

There it was... the bridge. She knew that it had to be this one, and that if she was wrong, then so be it. She did it quickly, in one swift motion, nearly hitting the button. She just wanted it to be over with. Almost immediately, she heard the sound of grinding stone from the direction of the plaque. She instinctively stepped back against the wall, but soon realized there was no need. A stairway was forming, the floor in front of the plaque sinking down in tiers, making it possible to reach whatever might be down there. Daniella waited until it stopped, then walked to the top of the new stairway.

It led down to a torch-lit chamber. Taking a final glance back, she walked down the stairs. She wondered how torches in an underground room like this stayed lit, how they managed to burn forever. It was very strange... but there was no time for thinking about such things. There it was, just like the other two. On a plain stone altar in the middle sat the final crest. She walked over and examined the yellow stone medallion, shaped like a pentagon. As she had expected, the word "SULPHUR" was carved across it. She looked around briefly, looking for any sign of a trap, but to her eyes there was none. She took it out swiftly, waited for a few seconds, and seeing nothing unusual, hugged the stone to her chest, smiling with relief.

She had been waiting so long for this... she had no idea what it would do, but whatever it was, at least she would be satisfied. She ran back toward the stairs and back up into the painting room. She ran toward the exit, but then slowed down. Was Poppy still out there? Fearfully, she called him. She didn't hear any response, and tensed. He hadn't run off, had he? Suddenly, the sound of his feet on the leaves reached her ears, and she could have jumped for joy. She saw him running up to her, that ever-present stupidly happy expression on his face. She kneeled down, hugging him.

"Come on, boy... let's put this where it was meant to be."


	38. The Waterfall

**The Waterfall**

It was in the same spot that Fendari waited, behind the two-way mirror in the atrium, head bowed. It wouldn't be long now... He wouldn't have to go through this much longer. He could hear her coming. She was in the hall outside the atrium, undoubtedly with the final crest in her possession. He would allow her to complete the alignment, to obtain the statue... the key. Then he would take her. His window was closing, though... the master would return at any moment. Fendari knew he was close now... he could feel the man's presence.

He watched as she entered the room for what would be the last time, the ever-present dog at her side. He could tell she was fatigued, weary... that would make things easier. He allowed himself to let out a quiet laugh of triumph. He watched her make haste to the altar, where she stood for some time, apparently talking to the dumb animal beside her. Finally she put it in place, and Fendari looked upwards. He wanted to see it happen again, it was fascinating in a way. But right at that moment, he knew... he knew when the mansion's main doors were opened. He could hear them. And he knew that his time had run out.

* * *

Daniella watched the spectacle with open-mouthed awe. The smallest pillar slid into place, opening its stone mouth, and shooting the water stream finally out into the smaller basin. At first, nothing happened, and Daniella had the painful sensation that she'd done all this for nothing. But slowly, as the pool filled with water, she heard the grinding of stone, and looked up to the balcony above, where the waterfall originated.

Water was pouring out of a circular area cut out of the balcony floor, which separated from the balcony itself and was now descending toward the ground. She watched as a magnificent spiral staircase sunk down out of the ceiling, the water flowing down it somehow weighing it down, and gracefully spiraled toward the ground, water cascading down off of it in a shining cylinder. It came down slowly to the floor, making a low boom when it hit the ground. Water flowed from it in all directions, flooding the blue stone floor around it.

Daniella simply stood there for a while, wondering how such a contraption worked. Somehow, when the water filled the pool on the ground, it flooded the overhead balcony and the hidden staircase, causing it to lead from the ground up to the balcony. Poppy, unsure what to think, jumped back when it hit the ground, growling, then just stared at the stairway confusedly. Whatever it was that she had been after... whatever it was they were trying to hide... it was through that single door on the balcony.

She began walking toward the flooded stairway, the flow of water streaming down it not showing any sign of stopping. Poppy stayed where he was, still not completely trusting it, and she had to call him to get him to come with her. The water from the stairway flowed around her feet as she got close to it, soaking her shoes. She walked through the cylindrical water curtain caused by water flowing off the sides higher up, and began ascending the stairs, by now completely drenched. Poppy, having quite a good time, stood in one spot lapping up the flowing water.

Daniella walked up the stairs, looking around her in wonder. It was very beautiful... but she wondered if there was any water damage to the room after something like this. She walked around and around until she reached the top of the staircase and walked out onto the balcony high above the room. Water flowed all along the balcony from some unknown source, falling to the floor in huge sheets. The room looked so picturesque from up here... the jungle, the waterfalls, the beautiful stone pillars, and the sky visible overhead. She watched Poppy reach the top of the stairs, where he shook himself off, but it didn't seem to help much. He obviously loved the water.

She turned her eyes on the single wooden door in the wall, and walked to it, calling the dog. No matter what she found there, she knew that she had worked hard to find it. She looked down at Poppy, who was still looking out at the room below.

"Well... thanks for all you've done, boy. We managed to get this far... and I know I couldn't have if you hadn't been there. Let's go and see what this place has to hide."

She'd made a habit of talking to him, because he was the only friend she had, and he always listened. And whatever happened, at least he would still be there. With this thought, she turned around, opened the door, and entered.

And in the room, far below, Agent Weston watched her do it.


	39. Aureolus

**Aureolus**

Daniella stepped into the dark, torch-lit hallway. Again with the torches... how did they stay lit? She looked around the hall, and saw many different symbols painted on the walls. She had no idea what they meant, but they were somehow foreboding. She saw Poppy enter the hall, sneezing as dust rose up around his feet. It was obvious that this place had not been disturbed in a long time. She began walking forward, trying not to inhale all of the dust that was spreading in the air. She saw the hall end ahead of her, turning right. She followed Poppy around the corner.

The first thing she saw was the bodies. All around the sides of the room... human bodies, apparently mummified. She stumbled backwards, taking a deep breath of dust, and began sneezing. Poppy walked over to her, worried. She managed to control herself, and looked around the room at the end of the hall once more. For all the dead people, it didn't appear to be a tomb, like that skeleton room. It looked like some kind of... library. Bookshelves stood around the room, and notebooks were stacked haphazardly on a few small wooden tables in the center. Some were opened, some were closed, a few lay on the floor. It appeared that whoever left this room didn't care that it wasn't organized.

But... those mummies... what were they doing in here? They were all in a sitting position, each one placed on a bench, a table, or a shelf. Fearfully, Daniella stepped into the room, walking over near one of them. The corpse wasn't wrapped in anything, but it appeared dried out, and had obviously been dead for several hundred years. She reached out and touched the hard, brittle surface of the face. Why would anybody have these in a place like this?

She stepped back from it, examining the other things in the room. Now that she had time to look around, she noticed the painting. It was placed above a door opposite the hall she came in. She recognized the man in the painting... it was the man from her dream, the middle-aged man from the other painting. And standing beside him... was her. The woman with the violet hair. She got closer to the painting, looking at the woman. She looked quite a bit older than Daniella herself... but she was very beautiful, just as she had looked in the other painting. The expression on her face was somber, she didn't look like the type to smile... below the painting, nailed to the frame, there was a small gold plate. Daniella got as close as she could, looking up at the plate and reading:

AUREOLUS AND LEANA BELLI

Leana... that was in her dream, too! That was her name... but what did it all mean? Was that dream one of this woman's memories? How was that possible? She shook her head in confusion, turning her gaze again to the man. Aureolus... that was a very strange name, but she knew she'd heard it. It was as if she could almost remember this man from her own experiences... Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere by looking at the painting, she turned around, many thoughts and questions now running through her head.

Daniella saw Poppy sniffing curiously at one of the corpses around the room. She wondered if he knew that they had been real people once. She wanted to know what happened to them, who did this to them. She decided the only thing she could do now was to examine the notebooks on the tables. She walked over and looked down at one of those that were lying open. It could have been a scientist's notes... what appeared to be many different theories and formulas were scrawled on every last inch of the paper, but they were in some language unknown to her... it looked almost like Latin. She paged through the notebook, and found all sorts of strange things... drawings and schematics of odd contraptions and systems she'd never seen, diagrams of the human body, and more notes, still all in that language.

But when she looked over at the notebook to the side of that one... it was English. It was the same scrawled handwriting, but instead of notes, this one looked like a journal. She skimmed through it, not quite understanding who this person was. Apparently some sort of human scientist, he seemed to be trying to obtain more life or something. Each entry was signed _Aureolus Belli_, and dated... 1540. That was almost 500 years ago! But if that was true... then the torches... She looked around the room, wondering if that was the last time anybody had been in here, and suddenly not wanting to stick around any longer. She took one look back down at the desk, reminding herself that all she wanted to find was something useful to her. It was all just these old notebooks, and it would take her hours to actually read one, and that was time she didn't have to waste.

She started toward the door under the painting, and called Poppy, who was still examining the mummy in the corner. He ran up to her, and she opened the door. The next room was very small, but lit with a still-burning oil lamp on a wooden table in the center. One chair stood next to the table, and Daniella got the feeling somehow that although nobody had been in the other room for ages, somebody had been in here very recently. The room was featureless, the walls and ceiling made of black stone. Featureless, save two things... the arched doorway across from her, and a small white statue placed on a pedestal next to it. She walked around the small round table, looking at the statue.

It was a statue of a woman, and was made of what appeared to be polished marble. It was very pretty and well-crafted, and on its base was printed the word TOWER. She picked it up, studying it more intently. The base had a series of raised lines and grooves in the bottom... did it possibly work as some sort of key? She knew that it had some importance, being the only thing in this room, so she decided to take it with her. She walked out of the stone archway, Poppy close behind her, and down a short hallway. She saw steel doors at the end... and realized she was facing the elevator she'd found in the atrium hallway.

Daniella looked backwards, sighing. Had she missed something? Was this statue all that she had come up here for, all she had gathered those crests for? It had to do something important. She looked back at the elevator, which had not been working when she had found it on the floor below, and her hopes for it weren't very high now. Not that it would be a huge inconvenience, she would just have to go back down the stairs in the atrium, but she didn't want to walk back through the room with the bodies. And maybe the elevator could take her to other floors, places she hadn't been... but her explorative spirit had all but died by now. This was all she'd wanted to do, and she was tired enough to drop.

She approached the doors, doubtfully pressing the button to the side of the doors... and unexpectedly, they opened for her at once. Why it was working now, she had no idea. She looked around inside, and it appeared to be a modern, normal-looking elevator. She stepped inside and, making sure Poppy got in, looked at the buttons on the inside. They were labeled 2, the floor she was on, 1, the atrium hall... and B1. She wondered whether to press that button see where it would take her... but she needed sleep. She knew that the agent was still walking around, but she couldn't fight it much longer. She would just have to hope he didn't find her again.

Daniella pressed the button for floor 1, and the doors slid closed. She felt the elevator begin its descent, rubbing her eyes and thinking back on what a long night it had been... when suddenly, she was thrown against the wall as the elevator jerked to a stop and it went pitch black. She knew it hadn't reached the next floor yet, and wondered what had gone wrong. The power had just shut off... did it get jammed or something? Or was it something else? She moved toward the doors, her heart rate beginning to rise, and pulled on them. They opened quite easily, whatever was holding them shut now apparently having shut off, and she looked around. She saw the dark wall of the elevator shaft in front of her, looked up and down to see horizontal iron girders placed at regular intervals, and to the right a ladder attached to the wall, probably for maintenance.

She knew she had to go out there and find out what was going on. She turned around, facing the blackness inside the elevator, not sure exactly where her dog was.

"Poppy, sit," she said to him. With any luck, she'd be back soon.

She reached out for the ladder with both hands and swung her feet out onto it. The metal rungs were cold and rusty and her hands were beginning to shake, but nevertheless she began climbing, hoping to be able to find the problem. The lights in the shaft still worked... so what happened to the elevator? She climbed up past the top of the elevator, and was about to turn around and look at it... when a hand grabbed the back of her shirt, ripping her off the ladder and slamming her down on the top of the steel elevator.


	40. Weston

**Weston**

Daniella cried out as she hit the steel. She opened her eyes and was staring once again into the face of the agent. Thoughts raced through her head, how had he gotten here, where had he come from... After all that had happened to him, he was still after her... and now she knew he wasn't going to hesitate to kill her. She heard Poppy barking from below her, knowing she was in danger, but unable to help her now.

Every time she looked at him, she saw the nails, saw his lifeless eyes filled with bloodlust, and she hated herself. She hated herself because of what she'd done to another human being. But she was forced to forget this as he leveled the gun in his hand at her head. She knew she'd never be able to escape this time. She was lying on the top of the elevator, and he would definitely kill her before she could move. She saw his finger press down on the trigger and closed her eyes, preparing for the end...

Instead of a bullet going through her head, though, she heard a clicking noise. With a gasp, she realized that he was out of ammunition. By some miracle, she was still alive, and tried to make the most of this opportunity. She jumped up to her feet as quickly as she could and shoved him backwards, running past him and looking around frantically. She saw a red light near the top of the shaft, and a lever next to it. Maybe it could bring power to the elevator... she knew that if she was going to have any chance of escape, she would have to get the elevator moving again.

Daniella spotted the metal ladder on that side, in the same spot on the opposite wall as the one she'd used to get up here, and made a running jump for it. She hit the bars hard, nearly knocking the wind out of her, but clung to them as tight as she could, not daring to look down. She glanced back, seeing the agent fumbling with a clip of ammo at his belt. Apparently he remembered how to use his gun well enough. She knew she had no time to waste, and began climbing the ladder as fast as she could.

She was beginning to panic again, her hands slipping on the bars and her breathing turning rapid and shallow. She knew she was a sitting duck up here, one shot was all it would take and that would be it. She closed her eyes and just concentrated on climbing the ladder, reaching up to the next rung and pulling herself up, repeating, repeating... it wouldn't be long now. He would shoot her before she could make it. This was the worst idea she'd ever had. She turned her face upwards and opened her eyes, finding the red light close now, the lever almost within reach.

Although she told herself not to, she found herself looking down at the elevator. She saw the agent finally putting the clip in the gun, when suddenly a shape jumped from the elevator... was that Poppy? She saw the dog jump across onto one of the iron girders that lined the shaft, nearly slipping and falling to the bottom... he was risking his life to save her. She shuddered, trying to keep moving, and climbed the last few rungs to the top. She did not dare glance back down, he could kill her at any minute... she reached out with her flagging strength and pulled the lever down.

At that moment, a bullet hit the wall close to her head. She heard the elevator moving again, and knew that the reason he missed was probably because of the sudden movement... but next time she might not be so lucky. She looked down to see the elevator descend to the first floor. It sank down just far enough so that the girder that Poppy had jumped to was level with the top of the elevator. She saw the agent already aiming for his next shot as Poppy jumped fearlessly onto the top of the elevator, running and jumping onto the man's back. It caught him by surprise, and he struggled with the dog, trying to get him off.

Poppy was buying her precious time, and all she was doing was sitting there staring. Daniella started back down the ladder, hoping against hope that she would somehow be able to get back inside the elevator, and escape onto one of the floors. She didn't want any more violence, she didn't want more death, that's not how this had to end... but that's the way it was headed. Trying her best not to panic, she climbed downward as fast as she could, hearing Poppy yelp. _Please be okay,_ she prayed as she continued to climb. She owed everything to that dog, and if he died... Another shot rang out.

The bullet entered her right arm, which immediately went limp. She dropped the white statue she'd been trying to hold onto. Daniella screamed in pain, and realized she was falling. She was plummeting to her death, falling to the bottom of the shaft. It was all over... Suddenly, her body smacked against one of the iron girders. She felt something in her back snap, and yelled out in agony. If she injured her spine, she was dead... but she found she could still move, she was still breathing, she was _alive. _She rolled over in excruciating pain and attempted to stand on the girder.

She slowly got to her feet, her back threatening to kill her. She had only fallen to the next girder down, but it was enough to seriously injure her. She was now below the top of the elevator, but she knew all the agent had to do was look over the edge and he could kill her. With her flagging strength, she reached out for the ladder once more with her left arm, which wasn't the dominant one, and she had a hard time just getting onto it. She didn't look up, didn't want to see her impending doom... everything was turning gray again, the entire world threatened to swallow her, she could hardly control her own actions... all she knew how to do now was climb.

Daniella kept climbing for what seemed like forever, thought she heard more gunshots but wasn't sure, nothing existing to her but the ladder. She couldn't breathe... she was going to suffocate... tears streamed down her face as she tried to run from the truth... that she had no hope, and she was going to die. Finally, she felt no more rungs below her feet, just stone, and knew she had reached the bottom. She didn't want to look around, didn't know if she had the strength, but knew she had to.

She saw the agent climbing down the ladder on the opposite side, turning his head to look at her. All she saw in his eyes was death... all he knew how to do now was kill. The horrifying realization dawned on her that only one of them would be leaving this place alive, and she knew who it was going to be. All she could do was stand and watch, against the wall, unable to move... Even as she saw him aim the gun again from up on the ladder, all she could do was cry and shake her head. This was the end. He shot her again.

The bullet hit her in the left side, dropping her to the floor in writhing, shrieking pain, the overwhelming sensation racking her entire body. Things were beginning to black out... she was dying. She tried her best to fight the gathering fog, watching the agent descend the last rungs of the ladder. She looked around for something, anything... And then on the wall next to her, she saw another lever, larger than the one near the top. It wasn't within her reach, but she might be able to make it. She had no idea what it was, no idea what it did, but she just knew it did something... and she wasn't just going to sit here and wait for death.

With what remained of her stamina, with the last of her life, she dragged herself over to the spot below the lever. She looked up at it and read the words printed in red beside it.

CAUTION!

EMERGENCY RELEASE SYSTEM

DO NOT PULL UNLESS IN THE CASE OF AN EMERGENCY

She looked back through her tears at the agent, who had by now reached the floor opposite her and was facing her, his eyes filled with primal fire, the object of the hunt now wounded and prepared for the kill. She watched as he began walking toward her, aiming his gun one last time, right between her eyes. She closed her eyes, whispered a prayer, and pulled the lever down as hard as she could.

* * *

Weston was closing the distance between himself and his prey. He had to kill her. He _needed_ to kill her. It was all that fueled him now, his mind concentrated on nothing else. He aimed the object in his hand, the killing tool, straight at the girl's head. His lips contorted into a lopsided grin as his brain kept repeating the message... _kill... kill... _She reached up and pulled something, and suddenly he heard a noise above him.

He turned his head upward, watching the shape get larger and larger. He knew death when he saw it, knew when it was rushing at him. And as he saw his own doom closing in on him, one more thought broke to the surface of his mind, one last, brilliantly clear memory in the face of death... he had a family. In those last few seconds, the bloodlust was gone, the girl didn't matter anymore. He was going to miss them so much. He never got to say goodbye...

The elevator smashed down on top of Weston, and death embraced him.


	41. Return of the Master

**Return of the Master**

Daniella sat on the stone floor, bleeding and sobbing, looking at the crashed and broken elevator before her, eyes wide with horror. Slowly, she realized the terrible fact that she'd have to live with for the rest of her life...

She was a murderer. She had intentionally killed a person.

She tried to keep it in, but she couldn't anymore... she wailed loudly, a scream of suffering and despair. This was who she was. A killer. This was the last straw. She didn't care about her identity anymore, didn't care about who the master was, about Fiona, Riccardo, Poppy... Poppy...

She had just thought about it... had she killed her only friend? When she had last seen him, he'd been on the top of the elevator. But a worried bark answered her from above, and she saw the dog looking down at her and pacing back and forth on one of the iron girders. He must have jumped off... She knew that Poppy would be better off here, with people who cared for him. Not with her, not where she was going...

She painfully dragged herself to her feet, feeling the adrenaline pumping through her. She knew if it weren't for that, she probably wouldn't be able to move right now. She limped over to the ladder, feeling the blood drain out of her with each passing second. She had to get out of this house. If she was going to die, it wouldn't be in this place. She began climbing the ladder, her whole body shaking violently, her breath seeming to run out. She was determined to get out of this house if it was the last thing she did. She climbed up next to the doors of the first floor and pressed the emergency open button to the right side.

Daniella didn't take a look back at Poppy as he barked in sorrow, watching her leave him. She knew she wouldn't be able to handle it... after all he'd done for her, she was abandoning him. The doors slid open and she stepped through them. She began moving as fast as she could for the exit, running in a blind haze, allowing no other thoughts to enter her mind. There was no doubt to her now that she was going to die, and she wanted to at least escape this place first. She ran through the atrium, not noticing the water that still flowed around her feet.

She felt her warm blood pulsing through the hand that she'd placed on the wound in her side. She didn't have much longer. She shoved open the glass doors in the atrium and ran through the dark hallway, heading for the foyer. She passed the operating room, but didn't spare a thought to Fiona and Riccardo. She just kept running, feeling her life slowly slipping away from her. She was almost there... just a little bit more...

The foyer opened up ahead of her, she saw it at the end of the hall, getting larger and larger. She was almost out... it was within arm's reach... Daniella burst into the foyer, standing in one spot for a moment, then heading determinedly for the main doors, the way out, they were right there... when suddenly, she ran into somebody.

Somebody was holding her, catching her, trapping her. She yelled with all she had, tried to swing at the person. They weren't going to let her escape after all. She was going to die here. Slowly she stopped struggling, giving up, not having the strength to fight anymore. The man's soothing voice came to her ears.

"Oh my god... what happened to you?"

Daniella recognized the voice at once. She knew where she'd heard it before... the master had arrived. This was the man for whom she'd been searching.

She looked up into the man's face. He had red hair, which ran back so that it looked like fire. His eyes were very intense, his eyebrows very sharp... she had seen him in the painting... it was as if he'd stepped right out of it. Daniella looked into his eyes. If she couldn't escape, then at least she wanted to know the truth...

"Who am I?" she gasped, pleading. "Who am I?"

The man looked down her body, examining her wounds, her blood-stained clothes. He shook his head, then looked back up at her.

"Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Aureolus Leonardo Belli... and you, my dear, are my wife."

His... wife? Her head spun, trying to comprehend this. What did he want with her? Would she be in this house forever? She felt pressure pushing on her from all sides, the black fog once again encroaching on her vision. It was too much, and she couldn't fight it. She let the darkness swallow her, Leonardo's words following her into the void.

"Don't worry, I'll fix you... You just need some rest."

* * *

Leonardo picked her up easily, her limp body very light. She looked as if she hadn't had any food for days. He had to make sure she was in prime condition. He looked again at the bullet holes in her body, one in her side, the other in her arm. Those would take some time to heal, even with all his knowledge. He looked around the foyer, the huge room looking exactly as he'd left it. But he knew things weren't the same here, and he had been expected for the unexpected.

Although his greeting had been his bullet-riddled wife assaulting him, he tried to take it all in stride. Things were much different here now, he could almost smell it on the air. He would get answers, but she would have to be conscious first. In time, he would check up with Fendari, but for now he had more pressing matters, most importantly healing Leana. Instead of taking her to the operating room, he would take her down to his lab, as he did with all of his... patients. But she would get special treatment. She was the most important thing to him right now.

As he walked up the spiral stairs to the second floor, he looked down at her face, which actually appeared very serene now. She was very beautiful, and he knew that she would make him a fine wife. Not that she would be staying around long, but... he would make sure he got his share of her before she was sent off to the slaughter. He was still playing the friend card, only trying to help her find her identity. That's the only way he was able to get her to come here, and now that he had returned, he would make sure she felt right at home.

He had such plans for her... she would become the fruit of all the research that his great family had ever done. The Azoth she had was unique, strong... and pure, which was what mattered the most. There were people after her now, though, there was no doubt about that, but that problem could be taken care of quickly. Where Fendari had been during all this, he would have to... inquire about later. He man had been left in charge of her well-being... and Leonardo was going to make sure that the man understood just how much she meant to him.

Yes, things had changed as they always did, there was no doubt about that. He knew, as he walked down the long, dark stairway that led to his alchemic laboratory, that things were not going to be the same. There were many more surprises in store for all of them, and he was sure that the best was yet to come. Fate worked in mysterious ways... but now was when it all began. The die had been cast... and the game was afoot.

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
